Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
861. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if there are solar panels in place on the rooftop or within the grounds of his Department building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30701/26]
View answer862. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department has a solar panel policy in place in relation to the installation of solar panels on all buildings operated and owned by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30719/26]
View answer863. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department has a solar panel policy in place in relation to the installation of solar panels on all buildings operated and owned by agencies under the control of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30739/26]
View answer864. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his views on the merits of installing solar panels on all buildings operated and owned by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30756/26]
View answer865. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his views on the merits of installing solar panels on all buildings operated and owned by agencies under the control of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30776/26]
View answer868. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding any buildings operated and owned by his Department that have solar panels in place to support the energy demands of the building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30847/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 861, 862, 863, 864, 865 and 868 together.
The buildings occupied by my Department and many of its agencies are owned or leased by the Office of Public Works (OPW) and as such come under their centralised portfolio management for Climate Action across the Government estate, including the rollout of solar panels. My Department collaborates with the OPW on opportunities in this regard and some notable implementations achieved to date include:
• The installation of solar panels on the roof of 6 Ely Place Upper, which is undergoing a significant refurbishment under the Pathfinder programme
• Solar panels on the Forensic Science Ireland Facility in Co. Kildare
• Solar panels on the roof of Garda North Western Region Headquarters in Renmore, Galway and the Garda Station in Pallaskenry, Limerick
Further, my Department is currently working with the OPW to assess the feasibility of installing solar panels on the roof of our Stephen’s Green headquarters and our offices at Hanover Street, Dublin 2.
Irish Prison Service buildings come under my direct control as Minister and have made strong progress on the rollout of solar, including:
• The first prison based solar farm located at Shelton Abbey. This provides up to 450,000 KwH of renewable electricity at Shelton Abbey per year.
• Solar Projects at Mountjoy Male Prison and Mountjoy Female Prison, which are completed and operational, and planned projects at Arbour Hill Prison and Loughnan House Open Centre.
My Department does not have a stand alone solar panel policy. Our Climate Action Policies are outlined in our Climate Action Roadmap which is updated annually and aligns with the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate. Funding has been earmarked in the Justice Sectoral Investment Plan to further Climate Action across the justice sector, including the installation of solar. My Department will continue to work closely with the OPW portfolio leads to identify opportunities to accelerate progress on this.
The Government is committed to achieving 80% of Ireland’s electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030, including 8GW of solar. This is just one of a suite of measures aimed at achieving energy independence by harnessing our untapped renewable energy resources. In doing so, we will secure a better, healthier, and more resilient future for Ireland, while ensuring energy security and sustainability. Public buildings have a key role to play in this.
I am informed that it has not been possible for An Garda Síochána to collate the information requested in the time provided. I will forward their response directly to the Deputy once it is available.
