Written Answers Nos. 280-295
280. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a timeline for the enactment of the General Scheme for the Maritime Area Planning (Marine Protected Areas) (Amendment) Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39610/26]
View answerOn 12 November 2025, Government approved the preparation of a General Scheme of a Maritime Area Planning (Marine Protected Areas) (Amendment) Bill which will amend the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021. The proposed Bill will provide a legislative basis for the designation and effective management of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Irish waters and include amendments to support the efficient delivery of the marine regulatory system. Work on the general scheme is at an advanced stage and it will be published at the earliest opportunity.
281. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department has engaged with the operators of the deposit return scheme regarding accessibility concerns raised by wheelchair users in accessing reverse vending machines independently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40215/26]
View answer316. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether accessibility standards or guidelines were applied in the rollout of reverse vending machines under the deposit return scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40211/26]
View answer317. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether his Department has received representations or complaints regarding the accessibility of reverse vending machines for wheelchair users and persons with limited mobility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40212/26]
View answer318. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether his Department has engaged with a company (details supplied) or participating retailers regarding concerns that some reverse vending machines may not be accessible to wheelchair users due to the height and positioning of bottle and can chutes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40213/26]
View answer319. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether accessibility and universal design requirements form part of the operational or contractual arrangements governing reverse vending machines under the deposit return scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40214/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 281, 316, 317, 318 and 319 together.
Re-turn is a producer-led and owned, not-for-profit company established by beverage producers to meet their obligations under the Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations. Specifically, Regulation 14 sets down retailers' obligations under the scheme including requirements around access to return facilities.
Re-turn, which is responsible for all operational matters relating to the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), has advised that there are currently over 2,800 registered Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) nationwide, operating across 2,081 premises.
The company has also advised how the original specification to approve RVM suppliers in Ireland included accessibility requirements broadly reflecting the DRS Regulations, stating: “Both RVMs and RPOs (Return Point Operators) must be in compliance with any relevant standards in place in the Republic of Ireland, both for the machine itself and the operations surrounding the RVM. This includes the requirement for accessibility of RVMs. RVM Suppliers and RPOs must ensure the machines are accessible”.
Retailers were free to purchase RVMs from any of the approved RVM suppliers.
Following the scheme's launch in February 2024, Re-turn received feedback from some consumers living with a disability about the challenges they have experienced accessing the scheme. In response, Re-turn launched a consultation process to review the accessibility of the scheme for people with disabilities and mobility issues. The 2025 report from that consultation shares the findings from surveys, focus groups, in-store sessions, and one-to-one interviews, highlighting both the progress made and the challenges that remain. It can be found on Re-turn's website here: https://re-turn.ie/re-turn-accessibility-consultation/.
Following the consultation, Re-turn is developing practical solutions that are co-designed with people with disabilities, alongside retailers, RVM suppliers and other stakeholders. This work is focused on how accessibility can be improved through clearer and more accessible DRS information, better usability of RVMs, and updated retailer accessibility guidelines. Officials of the Department participate in Re-turn’s Accessibility Advisory Group and continue to monitor progress.
The first accessibility measure to be deployed will be the publication of the Retailer Accessibility Guidelines, which are expected to issue in the coming weeks. These guidelines are intended to support retailers in identifying practical steps that can be taken to make returning containers more accessible for all users. Retailers will be encouraged, to first undertake self-assessments within their stores to identify areas where accessibility improvements may be appropriate.
Since the launch of the DRS scheme in February 2024, the Department has received seventeen complaints regarding the accessibility of the RVMs from or on behalf of people with disabilities. Two complaints have been received from wheelchair users, two from visually impaired users and thirteen from those living with other disabilities.
282. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he is aware that some waste collection services have added a temporary fuel surcharge; his views on whether the waste management sector is in need of a regulator; the measures he is taking to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38756/26]
View answerCharges applied by waste collection companies are matters for those companies and their customers, subject to compliance with all applicable environmental and other relevant legislation including contract, competition and consumer legislation. The Minister has no role in relation to pricing in a competitive market.
Waste Management is a statutory executive function of individual local authorities. Under the Waste Management Act, the National Waste Collection Permit Office (NWCPO) is responsible for the permitting and regulation of waste collection activities while the Environmental Protection Agency has responsibility for enforcement and oversight in relation to waste facilities and broader environmental compliance.
Private waste collectors operate under a waste collection permit issued by the NWCPO. These permits include a requirement that waste collection charging systems should incentivise customers to source segregate their waste, therefore the fees charged for the collection of the brown bin or mixed dry recyclables bin should be lower than the fees for the collection of the residual general waste bin. Under section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act, the Minister is precluded from exercising any power or control, in particular circumstances, over the statutory functions of a local authority.
The terms and conditions of individual waste collection contracts, including pricing plans for the provision of bins, are matters between the waste collection companies and their customers, subject to compliance with the terms of their NWCPO permit. All such permits can be viewed in full on nwcpo.ie.
In 2024, the Department commissioned an independent study to examine:
the operation of the current waste collection market structure;
the effectiveness of the existing regulatory and enforcement arrangements in supporting the attainment of recycling targets; and
the feasibility, potential benefits and risks associated with a transition of our waste collection system from its current model of side-by-side market competition to a franchise tendering system for local authority areas or regions.
This study has recently concluded and its recommendations are currently under consideration with a view to informing the next iteration of the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy. Any future policy decisions in relation to waste collection and regulatory arrangements will be taken in line with the relevant frameworks and following appropriate consultation and consideration of the study’s findings. It should be noted that under the Waste Management Act the statutory responsibility for decisions on waste collection arrangements, including any move towards franchise tendering, rests with the Chief Executive of each local authority.
283. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the mechanisms in place in his Department to ensure delivery on the commitments in the Programme for Government; the civil servant specifically responsible for overseeing such delivery; the measures that are used to assess progress; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38807/26]
View answerThe Strategic Delivery Section within my Department operate the Strategic Delivery Framework (SDF) to ensure that my Department is optimally structured, organised and resourced to deliver Programme for Government commitments. The framework includes the development of my Department’s Statement of Strategy which sets out the vision, mission, and strategic goals for my Department over a three-year period containing Programme for Government commitments.
The framework incorporates the annual business planning process. This identifies the priority outcomes and workstreams to be delivered in the year and aligns financial and human resources to their delivery. Within the priorities, workstreams are identified and planned for delivery including key milestones, risks, inter-dependencies and stakeholders. Progress against milestones is then reported to the Management Board and to me, as Minister, on a quarterly basis or more frequently if required.
284. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the hardship the pollack three fish restrictions per 24 hour period will cause the fishing angling vessels nationwide given that the sea angling business is critical to so many in our coastal communities; if he has considered other fishing opportunities for this sector, including exploring sea bass as a renewed option in addition to blue fin tuna fishing opportunities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38979/26]
View answerEU fishing opportunities and conservation measures are informed by scientific advice and the need to support the long-term sustainability of fish stocks.
I am conscious of the concerns of the recreational angling and charter boat sectors in relation to the daily bag limit being introduced for the recreational fishing of pollack from June 2026. I also fully recognise the importance of the recreational sea angling and charter boat sectors to coastal communities and I am conscious of the challenges that this measure presents for operators in the sector. I recently met with representatives of the sector, to hear directly their concerns regarding the introduction of the recreational bag limit for pollack and to discuss the impact this measure will have on their businesses and on coastal communities.
In considering alternative angling opportunities, it is important to note that the recreational fishing of both sea bass and blue fin tuna are also subject to EU conservation measures. Recreational fishing for sea bass is subject to a daily bag limit, while a strictly regulated catch and release programme applies to blue fin tuna.
Work is ongoing within Inland Fisheries Ireland to build a national dataset on recreational activity through the Irish Marine Recreational Angling Survey (IMREC) and a socio-economic assessment of the marine recreational angling sector is being progressed to help inform future discussions and consideration of sustainable recreational fishing opportunities. The Department will continue to engage constructively in EU discussions and will monitor future angling opportunities that may arise on the basis of scientific advice and stock sustainability.
285. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the total amount of public money, including from the Central Fund and any other sources, expended on the acquisition of carbon credits and investments in multilateral funds through the Carbon Fund and related mechanisms since its establishment in 2007; if he will provide a yearly breakdown of such expenditure and the compliance outcomes achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39008/26]
View answer286. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to detail the rationale for the voluntary cancellation of the remaining 701,795 Kyoto units in the Carbon Fund on 17 April 2025; the original cost to the State of acquiring or receiving these specific units from 2006–2007 investments; his assessment of the overall value-for-money delivered by these legacy credits in meeting Ireland’s international obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39009/26]
View answer287. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if the need to purchase carbon credits during the 2013–2020 period, as referenced in the Carbon Fund 2024 Annual Report, demonstrates the failure of Government policies to support practical and achievable emission reductions, particularly given the disproportionate and unrealistic targets imposed on the agriculture sector; if he will outline the total cost of such credit purchases relative to direct domestic climate measures in the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39010/26]
View answer288. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the lessons that have been learned from the operation and wind-down of the Carbon Fund, particularly around the potential wastefulness of relying on international carbon offsets instead of practical, cost-effective measures at home that support farming families; if he will confirm that no further purchases of carbon credits or equivalent mechanisms are planned or budgeted for the current Effort Sharing Regulation period given the severe cost-of-living and farming pressures already being experienced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39011/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 285, 286, 287 and 288 together.
The Carbon Fund was established by the Carbon Fund Act 2007 to record carbon credit transactions related to Ireland’s adoption of emission targets under the Kyoto Protocols. The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) was appointed to manage the Fund and, as the designated purchasing agent on behalf of the State, it administers and manages the carbon credit transactions.
During the first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocols (2008-2012) the total number of credits obtained by the State was just over 9 million. 5.26 million credits were acquired through direct purchases from the market at a cost of €89.6 million. The remaining credits were obtained through investments of just over €26.5 million net in multilateral funds. The requirement for carbon credits in the first commitment period amounted to 3.05 million. The remaining 6 million credits were available for use for the second commitment period (2013-2020).
During the second compliance period (2013-2020) of the Kyoto Protocol, Ireland met most of its commitments through the EU Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) framework that covered the same period. This framework was largely based around meeting annual emission limits for Member States, also known as annual emission allocations (AEAs) but provided other compliance options.
For compliance under ESD, Ireland used both certified credits and the purchase surplus AEAs from other Member States. During the period 2019 – 2021, the NTMA purchased almost 2.95 million certified credits at a cost of €2.1 million. As AEAs may only be obtained directly from other EU Member States, my Department, following Government approval, entered negotiations to purchase of AEAs. Ireland entered a bilateral agreement with Slovakia to obtain 4.15 million AEA units at a cost of €2.9 million for retrospective compliance.
The ESD framework placed certain restrictions on the types of carbon credits that could be applied by Member States. This resulted in Ireland being unable to use 702,000 of its previously purchased carbon credits. The fund has been dormant since 2022 with no assets other than 702,000 unusable carbon credits with a nil value. With the cancellation of these unusable credits in April 2025, the nominal assets have now been eliminated, and the Carbon Fund is effectively dormant.
I would direct the Deputy to recent PQs on the current approach to managing the costs of compliance associated with the Effort Sharing Regulation. There is currently no budgeted expenditure for purchasing credits.
The NTMA is required to prepare an annual report to me, as Minister, on the activities of the Fund, and to prepare annual financial statements. These statements can be found on their website www.ntma.ie/publications.
289. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the basis for recent public comments reported in the media (details supplied) that the data centre sector employs approximately 29,000 people in the State; whether the figure of 29,000 jobs associated with data centres is derived from Departmental analysis or from estimates supplied by industry representatives or agencies such as IDA Ireland; the methodology used to calculate the estimate of 29,000 jobs associated with data centres; to provide a breakdown of what the jobs are including construction, operations or otherwise; and to provide details of the estimated geographical distribution of the jobs. [39431/26]
View answerAs set out in the Government's Large Energy User Action Plan (LEAP), published in January 2026, companies that operate data centres, whether as part of their own infrastructure requirements or as a provider of services to other users, in Ireland account for approximately 21,000 direct employees. This figure was provided by the IDA at the time.
I would like to correct the figure I referenced at the recent event, which for the record should be 21,000.
The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) has commissioned an independent study on data centres that will include more detail on employment in the sector. I am advised that the outcome of this analysis will be available soon.
290. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate; Energy and the Environment the status of all proposed offshore wind farm projects off the Irish coast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39467/26]
View answer291. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate; Energy and the Environment the status of grid connection arrangements for offshore wind projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39468/26]
View answer292. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate; Energy and the Environment if the State remains on track to meet its offshore wind targets for 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39469/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 290, 291 and 292 together.
The Climate Action Plan identifies a target of 5GW of offshore wind capacity for 2030 and Government is implementing a cross Departmental offshore wind programme to progress the delivery of this infrastructure.
Five offshore wind projects off our East coast, with a planned capacity of 3.8GW, are at present in development. Each of these projects holds a provisional grid connection offer which will be finalised after planning consent. The first planning determinations are anticipated before the end of 2026, and the remainder in the first half of 2027. Subject to planning approval, I anticipate that these five projects will be in procurement and construction over the coming years and be operational in the early 2030s.
In December 2025, I announced that Helvick Head DAC, a consortium of ESB and Orsted, had won my Department’s second offshore wind auction and will be developing the Tonn Nua 900 megawatt project off the coast of Waterford. The Tonn Nua project was awarded a MAC in March 2026.
Under the Phase Two Offshore Wind Policy, EirGrid as transmission system operator is responsible for constructing the Tonn Nua offshore transmission assets and has committed to making a grid connection available by 2033, as specified in the Tonn Nua terms and conditions. Tonn Nua was the first of four sites to be brought to auction from the South Coast DMAP.
My Department is engaged in planning for auction of the next South Coast DMAP site, Lí Ban. My Department is commissioning site specific engineering surveys and regional level biological surveys to support that auction and is working with EirGrid to develop grid connection options for Lí Ban and the remaining two sites of the South Coast DMAP. I will be publishing further updates on plans for the Lí Ban auction over the course of this year.
My Department is also advancing work on a National DMAP that will provide sufficient additional sites around our coast to facilitate up to 20GW of offshore wind by 2040. Stakeholder workshops have taken place over recent months and technical work on site selection is ongoing. A public consultation will be undertaken in 2027.
293. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide the total electricity output (in GWh) generated by each onshore wind farm connected to the national grid in each of the past three years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39470/26]
View answer294. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide the number of days each onshore wind farm was operational and generating electricity to the grid in each of the past three years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39471/26]
View answer295. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the total number of operational onshore wind farms in each of the past three years; the total annual electricity generated by onshore wind; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39473/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 293, 294 and 295 together.
Ireland has made considerable progress in decarbonising our electricity sector over the last decade. We currently have over 8GW of renewable electricity generation capacity connected to the network. This is a remarkable achievement as it means we have added approximately 5GW of new renewable electricity generation capacity in just ten years, including doubling our wind capacity and establishing solar energy as a major pillar of our energy supply.
Onshore wind is the largest contributor to this with over 5GW installed, followed by solar PV with over 2.5GW installed. Hydro, biomass, and other small sources contributing the remainder.
Figures published by EirGrid show that onshore wind met 33% of our electricity demand in 2025.
Further data on installed renewables is available from the SEAI's latest Energy In Ireland Report which is available here: www.seai.ie/sites/default/files/publications/Energy%20in%20Ireland%202025%20v1.0%20complete.pdf.
More information on the current installed renewable electricity capacity is publicly available online from EirGrid and ESB Networks.
