Written Answers Nos. 16-27
16. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide an update on the development of the new Cork passport office; when she expects it to be operational; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23092/26]
View answerWith regard to the Deputy's query, this is a matter for the Office of Public Works (OPW) and I ask that the Deputy resubmit his PQ to the OPW.
17. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to outline the response to the provisional application of the Mercosur trade agreement. [20932/26]
View answer18. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on his work with EU partners in eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy in EU directives and regulations aimed at facilitating business operations. [13199/26]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for their question.
The Government strongly supports the EU’s competitiveness agenda. Simplification is a key enabler of this. Both the Letta and Draghi reports underlined the need to reduce the regulatory and administrative burden on EU companies, particularly SMEs.
The Government’s position has been consistent. Simplification has to be about better regulation, not deregulation, and should deliver outcomes that serve both business and consumers effectively. We need to focus on reducing the regulatory burden, while maintaining high ambition in terms of environmental protection, human health, and other standards.
At the EU level, we need to prioritise smarter, simpler and more streamlined regulations, in line with core better regulation principles and the inter-institutional agreement on better law-making, but with a sharper focus on outcomes.
Ireland continues to engage proactively in discussions on the EU’s simplification agenda and we welcome progress to date. The European Commission has so far tabled ten Omnibus packages covering a range of policy areas; sustainability reporting and due diligence (Omnibus I), InvestEU (Omnibus II), Common Agricultural Policy (Omnibus III), Small mid-caps, digitalisation and common specifications and battery due diligence (Omnibus IV), defence readiness (Omnibus V), chemicals (Omnibus VI), digital (Omnibus VII), environment (Omnibus VIII), automotive (Omnibus IX) and food and feed safety (Omnibus X). The Commission estimates that these ten packages will together lead to a reduction in annual administrative costs of approximately €12 billion a year.
The European Commission’s work programme for 2026 was published in October last year and sets out the proposals to be tabled by the Commission this year, and which Ireland will steer during our Presidency. This includes simplification Omnibus packages on taxation, energy products legislation, and citizens. It is possible that further simplification packages could also be tabled by the Commission in other areas.
Each simplification Omnibus package usually contains several legislative proposals relevant to multiple Government Departments. My Department has been coordinating Ireland’s approach across Government to these packages and we will continue to do so to ensure the EU’s simplification agenda can deliver for businesses and consumers across Ireland.
The simplification agenda will be an important priority for the Government during our Presidency. We need continued momentum in this area and we will work at pace to agree all outstanding simplification Omnibus packages by the end of our Presidency, though this will, of course, require the cooperation of other Member States as well as the European Parliament.
19. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if the longest extended period of below average rainfall since 1975 was factored into the results of the 2025 IFI salmon fry counts on the Boyne /Kells Blackwater catchment;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22776/26]
View answer20. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the metric of assessing the salmon stocks on the Boyne/Kells Blackwater Catchment that is most relied upon by Inland Fisheries Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22777/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 20 together.
Conservation limit attainment is the primary metric relied upon in assessing salmon stocks across all 144 designated salmon rivers in Ireland. Conservation limits represent the minimum number of spawning salmon required to sustain the population.
The attainment of conservation limits is determined by Technical Expert Group on Salmon (TEGOS) using an established, science-based methodology that is applied consistently across all salmon rivers. This methodology draws on best available information from a range of sources, including fish counter data, catch data and catchment wide electrofishing (CWEF) surveys, over a five-year assessment period.
The TEGOS report indicates that the Boyne salmon stock is achieving only 10% of its conservation limit and, based on that metric, the scientific advice for 2026 is that the river is closed to fishing.
With regards to rainfall, I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 95 of 18 March 2026 in which this Question is addressed.
21. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the position regarding the number of employees that were employed in his Department at the end of December 2025, broken down by grade, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22868/26]
View answerThe number of staff in my Department at the end of 2025 broken down by grade can be found in the below table:
|
Grade |
Number of Staff Employed |
|
Service Officer |
4 |
|
Temporary Clerical Officer |
1 |
|
Clerical Officer |
50 |
|
Executive Officer |
118 |
|
Administrative Officer |
123 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
98 |
|
Assistant Principal |
204 |
|
Principal Officer |
57 |
|
Assistant Secretary |
7 |
|
Secretary General |
1 |
22. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the number of employees in each of the agencies under his Department's remit at the end of December 2025, broken down by grade, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22890/26]
View answerThe information requested in relation to the agencies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for each agency and as such the Deputy may wish to contact those agencies directly. Contact details are set out in the attached document for ease of reference.
23. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the main policy achievements of his Department since 22 January 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23071/26]
View answerIn accordance with the Public Service Management Act 1997, my Department's policy achievements are reported in its Annual Report. Progress on key policy achievements of my Department for 2025 will be set out in the 2025 Annual Report which is under development and will be published in due course. In the interim, information and publications relating to the Department’s policy achievements from 2025 to date may be found [here].
24. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if, in circumstances in which a home is unsuitable for a heat pump, the alternative grant support available to householders in respect of boiler replacement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23094/26]
View answerThe Warmer Homes Scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people at risk of energy poverty by providing fully funded retrofits. The scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department and is funded through the carbon tax receipts and the European Regional Development Fund.
The Warmer Homes Scheme is available to owner-occupied properties, based on the householder being in receipt of certain Department of Social Protection (DSP) income supports. The scheme targets support to those on the lowest incomes who are living in the least efficient homes so that the resources available can have the greatest impact in addressing energy poverty.
The upgrades that will be recommended for a property will depend on many factors including age, size, type and condition of the property. For each eligible home, SEAI’s technical surveyor will determine which upgrades can be installed and funded. These can include:
• Attic insulation and appropriate ventilation;
• Wall insulation and appropriate ventilation – cavity wall, external wall or dry lining depending on the property;
• Secondary measures – lagging jackets, draughtproofing, energy efficient lighting;
• In certain circumstances: heating system replacements, window replacements.
Under the revised EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), Member States cannot provide financial incentives for the installation of new stand-alone boilers powered by fossil fuels from 1 January 2025. Therefore, since 1 January 2025, the SEAI cannot recommend the installation of new stand-alone oil or gas boilers as an upgrade measure when surveying homes under the Warmer Homes Scheme.
Homes which were surveyed and recommended for boiler upgrades under the Warmer Homes Scheme prior to 1 January 2025 are not affected by this change and planned works already communicated to homeowners, including boiler upgrades, will continue.
The SEAI is currently undertaking pilot programs regarding heat pumps and other renewable heating systems, to improve energy efficiency in homes that may currently be unsuitable for a heat pump.
The Government has other schemes and supports in place which may be of assistance where there is an urgent need:
• The DSP's Additional Needs Payment is a payment available to people who have essential expenses that they cannot pay from their weekly income. Additional Needs Payments are paid under Supplementary Welfare Allowance which is administered by the Community Welfare Service or the Department of Social Protection. Details are available at: www.gov.ie/en/service/4eb45-additional-needs-payment/
• The Housing Aid for Older People Scheme is available to assist older people living in poor housing conditions to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out. The scheme is administered by Local Authorities. Details are available at: www.gov.ie/en/service/1ca60-housing-aid-for-older-people-grant/
These schemes would also be unable to provide for the installation of new stand-alone boilers powered by fossil fuels from 1 January 2025 due to the EPBD. However, these schemes may be able to fund the repair of an existing fossil fuel boiler or provide for a non-fossil fuel heating system such as electric or biomass heating solutions, provided they are a suitable option given applicant’s circumstances.
25. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Defence the position regarding the number of employees that were employed in her Department at the end of December 2025, broken down by grade, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22870/26]
View answerThe table below provides a breakdown of the number of civil servants by grade employed in my Department, as at 31st December 2025.
The total figure of 498 is inclusive of 14 staff employed to work directly for the Defence Forces at a number of military installations, including 2 Assistant Secretaries as members of the Defence Board. It should be noted that 2 Special Advisers are included in the PO cadre, who were in the process of transfer to the payroll of new Departments at the date of reporting.
|
|
Sec Gen |
A Sec |
Director |
PO |
AP |
HEO |
AO |
EO |
CO |
SVO |
OTHER* |
TOTAL |
|
31/12/2025 |
1 |
6 |
1 |
36 |
84 |
111 |
11 |
140 |
98 |
9 |
1 |
498 |
* Storekeeper
26. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Defence the number of employees in each of the agencies under her Department's remit at the end of December 2025, broken down by grade, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22892/26]
View answerThere are three bodies under the aegis of my Department; the Army Pensions Board, established under the Army Pensions Act 1927, the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (ODF), established pursuant to the provisions of the Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Act 2004 and the External Oversight Body of the Defence Forces (EOB), which was placed on a Statutory basis on 1 December 2024.
A total of 11 staff provide support to the bodies under my Department's remit. The table below provides details as at 31st December 2025.
|
Number |
Grade |
Agency/Body |
|
1 |
Principal Officer |
External Oversight Body |
|
1 |
Assistant Principal Officer |
External Oversight Body |
|
1 |
Higher Executive Officer |
External Oversight Body |
|
1 |
Administrative Officer |
External Oversight Body |
|
2 |
Executive Officers |
External Oversight Body |
|
1 |
Clerical Officer |
External Oversight Body |
|
1 |
Assistant Principal Officer |
Ombudsman for the Defence Forces |
|
1 |
Higher Executive Officer |
Ombudsman for the Defence Forces |
|
1 |
Executive Officer |
Ombudsman for the Defence Forces |
|
1 |
Executive Officer |
Secretary to the Army Pensions Board |
27. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Defence the main policy achievements of her Department since 22 January 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23073/26]
View answerThe detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available within the time frame sought. The information is being compiled by my officials and I will arrange to have it forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
