Vol. 1090 No. 5
7. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the assessment his Department has made of the impact of the exceptionally hot and dry conditions experienced in Ireland during summer 2026 (details supplied); the additional measures he intends to introduce to protect and support communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65985/26]
I thank the Deputy very much. The Government is committed to protecting Ireland’s present and future generations with a whole-of-Government approach to climate adaptation underpinned by the 2024 national adaptation framework, NAF. This framework, as the Deputy knows, is co-ordinated by our Department via the national adaptation steering committee, NASC.
In 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, published Ireland’s first national climate change risk assessment, NCCRA. It identifies national climate change risks and ranks areas where action is needed to be prioritised to make Ireland more resilient to the impacts of climate change. We know from the NCCRA, and from the standardised climate data from Met Éireann, that more frequent and intense storms, longer periods of drought, rising sea levels, heatwaves, floods and coastal change are just some of the impacts of our changing climate to which we must adapt.
It is that data and knowledge which has underpinned the development of ten sectoral adaptation plans, SAPs, covering 13 key sectors such as agriculture, water management, flood risk management and health. Those plans were approved and published by Government in November 2025. In developing the plans, sectors were required to collaborate on cross-cutting issues and with climate action regional offices, CAROs, to ensure a cohesive approach at both the national and local levels.
In 2024, 31 local authority climate action plans, LACAPs, were published, which included adaptation actions to build resilience against flood, heat, and drought in our communities. Since 2022, approximately €19 million has been paid to local authorities by our Department to develop the implementation of their local plans.
A new adaptation taskforce, which the Minister established at the end of last year, provides for senior-level oversight and co-ordination of Ireland’s approach to adaptation, including systemic delivery barriers and cross-cutting issues and risks.
In terms of water restrictions, which I know is one of the most important issues and the one that was very much in play during the most recent period of warm weather, reduced rainfall and impacts on ecosystems and river levels, these are matters for Uisce Éireann in the first instance and not ones for which the Minister has any function.
We had a great summer here. We all enjoyed the bit of heat, but it is the second year in a row where we have experienced our hottest summer on record. Temperatures that used to be anomalies in the past are now becoming consistent. It is that direction of travel that we are really concerned about, because we all know it has such huge impacts on our society. This is the case in urban areas when it comes to a lack of green spaces. Even new apartment designs that are single aspect do not allow for draughts to come through apartments. We have huge societal issues that we have to grasp here. This is aside from the impact it is going to have on our agricultural sector, our growers and all of that as well. There will also be an impact on our biodiversity from the wildfires we saw across huge swathes of our mountains and forests during the summer. In my area in Dublin South-West, this included the beautiful Featherbeds, where we had disastrous wildfires. We need a co-ordinated approach. The Minister of State spoke about local authorities, but what is the co-ordinated approach?
The Deputy has got it, as we have. The challenge is real. We have moved to a point where the doubters in relation to climate change are starting to understand that it is real and that it is here. We have to put in place a systemic approach to addressing it in respect of the adaptation and mitigation measures we put in place. As I said, it is co-ordinated centrally. The involvement of the local authorities is the appropriate way. We have the sectoral plans in the first instance across the various areas. The Deputy identified agriculture and the impact climate change is having on that sector. We saw the intensity of that in the south east. There are, of course, issues that will have to be addressed there in relation to winter fodder, etc. It also, however, has implications for cities and towns. The Deputy identified those areas. This is why the local authorities will play a key role and it is why they are being funded by central government to develop their plans. As the Deputy also identified, this will also require a whole-of-Government approach, and that is the strategy we are deploying here.
With El Niño happening next year, this sitation is presumably going to get worse. We are likely to have another record heatwave next summer. Aside from the issues we spoke about earlier, there are also serious health implications here as well for vulnerable communities and older people. The 2023 climate action plan said it was necessary to develop a new public health heatwave plan and to seek to ensure more uniform planning country-wide for heatwaves.
That recommendation was not included in the 2024 or 2025 versions of the climate action plan. I wonder if it will be included this time around. Other things we need to look at are temperature regulations for workers, maximum working temperatures and a legal maximum it is safe for people to work at. Multi-departmental work needs to happen. We want to make sure it is being done.
The health issues are an important area, in particular for people with compromised immune systems or categorised illnesses and the elderly who find themselves depending on their accommodation. That is why, as I identified, there are 13 sectoral plans, one of which is health. That is clearly for the Department of Health and the HSE to work on, developing plans and procedures to mitigate, insofar as possible, the greatest impacts of significant increases in heat. It also has an impact on the supply of food and food security, which is an important component. That is why the agricultural piece is in there.
Local authorities and entities like Uisce Éireann need to be able to ensure that there is a ready supply of water, that we do not have to reduce usage and that we will not be left in a position that there is not a ready supply of clean water. All of the elements the Deputy identified are appropriate and right. A plan is in place. The sectoral approach is the way to do it. We believe the funding to local authorities from central government addresses the concerns the Deputy raised.
10. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he aware of cases whereby people eligible for fuel poverty supports including the better energy warmer homes scheme go through the lengthy application process and are ultimately, on decision, only deemed eligible for minimal upgrading works due building regulations requiring a heating system that they do not have. [65809/26]
17. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Climate; Energy and the Environment if he is aware of anomalies with the better energy warmer homes scheme whereby people who are experiencing energy poverty and are eligible for upgrades, cannot get works done on their house due to current building regulations and heat loss issues. [65826/26]
The Minister will have heard me raise this issue in the past. It relates to the better energy warmer homes scheme. The Government has taken significant steps to increase the number of people eligible for the fuel allowance. However, there will be people this winter who do not have a heating system in their home and have no mechanism to gain one because of recent EU regulations in regard to stand-alone fossil fuel boilers.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 17 together.
The 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 to households in receipt of certain Department of Social Protection income supports. I am pleased to say delivery under the scheme has ramped up hugely in recent years. Just over 3,000 homes were upgraded in 2019, compared with 8,100 last year, or 109% of what we had targeted. Between 2019 and August of this year, we did 39,500 fully funded upgrades for households at risk of energy poverty. Budget 2026 provided €340 million for warmer homes, with a target to complete 11,500 homes this year. We must also remember the scheme has developed over time and it is delivering deeper upgrades that take longer to complete. The average cost per home under the scheme in the first half of 2026 was €28,500. It is a significant investment, and rightly so.
In addition, under the national retrofit plan, a new, higher fixed-amount grant for attic insulation and cavity wall insulation was introduced for homeowners who are qualifying social protection payment recipients. That allows qualifying homeowners at risk of energy poverty to get these works done using SEAI-registered grant contractors on a shorter timeline. Eligible applicants can keep their place on the warmers homes scheme list. That is a change the Deputy looked for, which we were happy to make.
The success of the scheme has meant a serious increase in applications, with over 10,800 this year, up 52% on last year. A waiting list action plan is being developed. I met the SEAI only last week about this. The SEAI is also engaging with contractors to increase their output. Under the warmer homes scheme, upgrades recommended by the SEAI technical surveyor will depend on many factors including age, size and the type and condition of the property. Heating system upgrades, which the Deputy specifically asked about, can be recommended under the scheme in certain cases where the home is being insulated under the scheme and statutory major renovation obligations are triggered. Where more than 25% of the area of the walls is being externally or internally insulated, the existing heating system must be appraised for replacement.
People with existing boilers, because of EU regulations in place in Ireland under the energy performance of buildings directive, cannot receive a grant to replace it with another fossil fuel boiler. I am looking at measures on that in advance of the budget. The warmer homes scheme is great and we are seeing turnaround times between application and completion of works reduce. I will have an update on that in the next couple of weeks. The number of homes done through the scheme has increased year on year. It will be close to 11,500 this year. I do not have the projections for the end of the year but it will be an increase on last year. On what we can do to help people with boilers that are coming to end of life, I am working on that in advance of the budget.
I appreciate that. The Minister is correct that the warmer homes scheme is hugely popular. That and the increase in the fuel allowance are exactly the kind of ring-fenced funding that carbon tax provides. The difficulty is that people who are heading into this winter have either no central heating system, no back boiler system or a broken gas boiler and they cannot get the warmer homes grant because they have no boiler to register the heat loss indicator. They used to be able to get the local council grant but that is gone. As a last resort, I was able to send them to the Department of Social Protection for an emergency payment, but the Department is now saying it will not fund it either. I am aware of people heading into a second winter with no heating system and no way of getting it who also cannot get the warmer homes grant. There is clearly a regulatory gap. It is not an issue of funding but there is a problem whereby people just do not have the €2,500 or €3,000 to get a boiler and they cannot get the warmer homes scheme or any sort of support so they will have no heating this year. That is clearly not Government policy.
I agree with the Deputy. I mentioned in my first response that I am looking at this very issue right now in advance of the budget. I announced earlier this year that we would trial high-temperature heat pumps, plug-in heat pumps, which I think will be an option. A pilot of about 100 homes is ongoing. I think a number are in the Deputy's constituency. We will get the data from that. It could be a very good near-term solution. We will get the data by the end of the year or early next year. Should the data stack up, it provides us with an opportunity to roll this out at scale. It has the potential to be a really good option.
I am also looking at other measures in advance of the budget, which I discussed only last week with Cabinet colleagues, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste in budget preparation, looking in particular at that cohort with end-of-life boilers, where the boilers either are gone or are about to go, and what we can do in that space. The high-temperature heat pump has real potential but we are in the middle of that pilot right now. I met the European Heat Pump Association last week, something I would not often say. We had a good meeting looking at what is being done across Europe. There are some interesting examples, in particular in relation to high-temperature heat pumps. I am focusing on this because it could make a significant difference for many households if the data stacks up that it would work without a major retrofit on top. That is something we want to ensure we can do.
I will keep the Deputy in the loop and come back to him specifically on this issue. I am aware of the cases he has raised with me where people in this bind cannot afford to replace the boiler and are going into their second winter post the European buildings directive, which precludes local authorities from providing grants. I know that some people are trying to see if they can buy a second-hand boiler but that is not sustainable either. I will keep the Deputy in the loop.
I thank the Minister for acknowledging the issue. I have even raised this issue with Michael McGrath, the European Commissioner, because it is a good example of how something intended to have a positive contribution to our environment goals is having a negative impact. These kinds of things undermine confidence in the EU because they are a silly application of something. The problem is the technology does not exist. There is no gap between a €2,500 gas boiler and a €30,000 or €40,000 electric heat pump. The new pilots are welcome.
There is a balance with regard to Exchequer funding as well. I accept that. The SEAI has met me. It has been proactive. It has had the pilot scheme, which was implemented in a number of cases I brought to the SEAI, where compassion was needed. However, we need to put in place a permanent scheme. I welcome what the Minister said about the budget.
The scheme needs to be easy to use. A lot of these people are older people who do not understand all the mechanisms of different grant schemes. I appreciate the Minister's support because there are people who really need it.
We will conclude our work on this over the course of the next couple of weeks. There will be a lead-in period. If I am able to get approval to do something specific in this space, I will see it implemented in January.
I recognise the costs. We doubled the existing heat pump grants to €12,500. They are significant, but for lower income families, can we go that bit further and just cover the heat pumps? It involves labour costs and installation. The grant covers a significant amount of the cost of the equipment. Where the plug-in heat pump has real potential is that it reduces the need for a lot of other work, such as radiator replacement and that type of thing, which sometimes puts people off doing the work.
However, I expect to be able to make announcements in the coming weeks. If I get approval, there will be a lead-in period. I just wanted to say that. If I get it, I would love to bring it in in January of next year.
Should I have a word with Jack Chambers?
You certainly can. All interventions are gratefully received.
11. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the impact of electricity demand for data centres on the public network; and the studies that have been carried out to determine the impact on the householder in terms of additional costs and so on. [65585/26]
My question relates to the impact of electricity demand from data centres on the public network. What studies have been carried out by the Department to determine the impact on householders and any additional costs to the public in general? It is not a case of arguing against all data centres. There will be data centres, but the proliferation of them in this country is high and they are having a significant impact on the grid and on costs.
I thank Deputy Stanley. Many Deputies have raised this matter today, understandably, and I have answered in detail. However, to answer the Deputy, for fear of repetition, data centres provide essential digital infrastructure for the economy and strengthen our position as a strategic knowledge-intensive location for the digital and tech sectors. As I mentioned earlier, just short of 190,000 people work in ICT, so it is significant. We are not a large, heavy industry country but I would contend ICT is that sector. The digital infrastructure is underpinned in many ways by data centres, which provide significant support to all areas of our economy.
We brought forward the Large Energy User Action Plan, which I published in January 2026. It sets out the plan-led approach to enable Ireland to attract the next generation of investment in strategic energy-intensive sectors in the medium to long term. It will ensure future growth remains aligned with Ireland's green transition, energy affordability and security objectives, as well other strategic Government priorities such as the provision of housing, transport and water. The Government remains committed to investing in critical infrastructure to deliver electricity to a growing population and growing economy, with new housing and expanding businesses. Our grid investment programme provides an historic investment in Ireland's electricity grid infrastructure of up to €18.9 billion, with over 520 capital projects to be delivered over the next five years. They include 29 significant transmission infrastructure projects and 32 distribution substations. I meet every month with EirGrid and ESB Networks about their work programme to monitor that investment.
In the Deputy's area of Laois, in July I was delighted to open the ESB Networks Bracklone 110kV substation, which was the first major substation to be delivered under this capital programme. It will have a massive positive impact on the area and on energy and electricity capacity-----
: Go raibh maith agat.
-----in Laois, and particularly Portlaoise.
Significant work is going on to upgrade the network and it is badly needed, but there is a cost to it. The Minister outlined the 190,000 jobs, but very few of them are in data centres. The point I am making is that almost a quarter of the available supply is being used by data centres and there are reports it could grow to more than one third and more. That puts huge pressure on the network. It puts a huge amount of pressure on EirGrid and ESB Networks to upgrade the grid and put significant investment into it. I am in favour of the investment in it because I welcome the opening of the substation in my area, where it is needed for the increased industry and jobs in the area and the increased population, not to mention the housing that is being built, but a recent study has shown data centres are putting an additional cost on householders.
The data centres are getting cheaper electricity than Joe and Mary Public. That is the point. They are getting cheaper electricity while the public is paying for the upgrade. There is now an upgrade levy on everyone's bill. That is the key point the Minister needs to take home. We have a huge proliferation of them compared with other EU states and some American states are saying "No, not on our patch" to them now, but we are accepting everything. We need to have a more measured approach to this.
I fully understand why the Deputy is raising the issue and it is important we debate it, but not every application is accepted. I do not just accept every application for connection that comes in. Applications for connection agreements are made and they can be accepted or refused. We have set out how new applications have to be processed in a plan-led way. It is not just first come, first served or that people just apply for a data centre and get it. PR6, the grid investment programme, outlines what we need to do to get ahead of the energy demand projections and it is a big programme.
In response to another Deputy's question earlier, I mentioned network charges, which are set by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU. I do not set them. I know the Deputy did not say I do.
Regarding data centres, between 2020 and 2026, the network charges have increased by 175%. That is just to put the facts on the floor of the House. It has to be managed appropriately. I agree with the Deputy about that. That is what is being done and it is a big programme.
There are a number of issues. We are trying to construct 50,000 homes per year and there were reports again this week that the supply of housing is being hampered by the supply of water and electricity connections. There is clearly a pull factor and the Government has to take into consideration that there have to be jobs in other sectors and homes have to be built. There is pressure here every day with people talking about it. We are putting pressure on the Government about it. The Government is under pressure and is putting pressure on officials and local authorities to step up to the plate and drive on the programmes.
We have to look at things in the round, but we have a habit in this country - and I do not want to give the House a history lesson going back to the crash and so on - of putting too many eggs in one basket. This is a high-profit industry. We are accepting the data centres. I agree that not all of them get planning permission, but the sheer number going in and the supply of water and electricity going into them could throw the economy off to one side and have a negative effect on other sectors. That is the key point.
I responded earlier about water usage. Uisce Éireann estimates that approximately 0.3% of water is used in data centres. They are its figures. I just wanted to put that on the record of the House again. However, I reiterate that it has to be managed and we are doing that. That is why Peter Burke and I brought forward the Large Energy User Action Plan. It sets out how, in a plan-led way, some of the conditions of future connection agreements for data centres are that there must be capacity and 80% of the energy must be brought forward through new renewable sources. We have not seen a large number of data centres being connected in recent years. It is not the case, as the Deputy acknowledged to be fair, that when applications are made, not even for planning but for a connection agreement, they are all granted. We have set down clearly what are now the criteria for getting a connection agreement and that is important. It is important that we manage current and projected demand well and appropriately.
13. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the actions he has taken following his concerns regarding the level of underspending by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland in 2025, the changes to governance, structures and delivery arrangements that he has sought; and the measures being put in place to ensure that allocated funding is translated into increased delivery of home energy upgrades in 2026 and 2027. [65126/26]
Earlier this year, the Minister wrote to the SEAI expressing concern that it had left €120 million in capital unspent. Since then, he has highlighted the rising numbers of applications for retrofitting.
There is a recognition among the public that, to be as energy secure as possible, they need to retrofit. The Government has fantastic ambition in this space but is the SEAI set up for success? Does it have sufficient resources and capacity and the correct skill sets? What are we doing to make sure it delivers on the Government's ambition in respect of retrofitting?
I thank Deputy Boland for a really important question. She is right to highlight the fact that the SEAI underspent last year, even though it did more homes than it had ever done before. That is not a situation that we want. We want this money invested in permanent changes to reduce energy consumption in households and businesses to reduce their costs and reduce emissions. That is why, earlier on this year, I worked directly with the SEAI and instructed it to break down the grants to make them more accessible. We brought forward new windows and doors grants and we increased the fixed grant levels for attic and cavity wall insulation. We put a greater focus on supports for undertaking retrofit measures on an incremental basis as opposed to undertaking just one deep retrofit, the cost of which many households could not meet. A very purist approach was taken before. A retrofit had to cover everything. We have changed that to give people a pathway towards a full retrofit.
I see that Deputy O'Gorman has arrived. I listened to his interview on this issue on the radio earlier, when he said there had been no changes to SEAI grants over the course of the past year, which is not correct. It is therefore timely that he has arrived.
With regard to the take-up of grants, this year we have seen 88,000 applications. We have to watch the spend, however. I do not have the final year projections. Obviously, we will not see what has been expended yet. I know the SEAI is spending and investing more than ever. I expect an element of underspend this year. I do not know what that amount will be. It will be substantially less than last year. It is not something I welcome but I acknowledge the fact that we have brought in a whole suite of new schemes. With the support of Deputy Boland and of the Government over the coming weeks, I intend to seek additional supports. I am not referring to increased grant amounts but to additional things that we discussed here earlier, such as boiler replacements. Frankly, these are things that should have been done before. We are also looking at storage. That is what we are working through right now. We are watching the spend very carefully. I met with the SEAI again just last week. I meet with the authority regularly on this. Real progress is being made on the number of homes being retrofitted and that is to be welcomed but we need to make sure that the moneys raised are fully invested in retrofitting measures for households and businesses.
I agree with the Minister that it is absolutely essential that the money Government is providing to the SEAI is actually used and given to people for retrofits. I also very much welcome the improvements the Minister has made in the scheme this year. They have made it much easier and more financially viable for people to put in new windows, doors and so on. I appreciate that.
In terms of the warmer homes schemes the Minister mentioned earlier, the issue has been raised that there are people who are in serious danger of not having heating in their homes this year. What is the SEAI doing to decrease turnaround times and to reduce them from the current 22 months?
I do not have the figures. I gave Deputy McAuliffe an answer regarding the uptick earlier on. We did 8,100 warmer homes schemes projects in the last full year, 2025, which is a big increase. Overall, just short of 40,000 homes have been done. We will exceed that this year. Obviously, we still have a few months to go. We will exceed the number done the previous year. I have mentioned the issue of those who have end-of-life boilers. There are specific things that we can do. We are piloting high-temperature heat pumps, the plug-in heat pumps, at the moment. That pilot will continue for the next few months. Should efficiencies arise from that, should it be an option and should the data from that pilot stack up, there will be an opportunity for us to roll that out at scale. That would be a very viable replacement for boilers. However, in the meantime and in advance of the budget, I am working on measures for that particular cohort.
I will get the exact figure but turnaround times have gone from 22 months to 15 months. That is from the date of application to the completion of works. It is still a long time. There is a lag in getting a contractor and so on. However, there is a big focus on that because there are significant savings to be had for people, particularly those in energy poverty.
I welcome that. I had not heard about the 15 months. When I looked at the SEAI's website yesterday, it was still telling me that turnaround time was 26 months. It is important that be updated, notwithstanding whatever we can do to reduce the times.
On actually getting this work done, the SEAI appoints a contractor from its approved list. Is there a sufficient number of contractors on the SEAI's approved list? What can we do to increase the number? We really need to do whatever we can to make sure that people are warm in their homes this winter.
On the specific question of the contractors, that was part of the discussion I had with the SEAI last week. It went out to public procurement for contractors for the warmer homes scheme and selected a number of contractors. I have asked the authority to review that with a view to adding more. I know of a couple of contractors around the country, very good companies, that did not make the list. I am looking at Deputy Carthy, who might be aware of one such company in his own area. These omissions surprised me. I have asked those questions of the SEAI at our meeting. I met with it on that particular issue the week before last. It is going to come back to me. I think we have an opportunity to get more contractors into the warmer homes scheme, notwithstanding the fact that the authority has awarded contracts only recently. It is about having additional resources to fast-track delivery. Particularly during an energy crisis and when we are seeing such price increases, these really good climate measures and energy reduction measures are also permanent cost reduction measures. We need to treat that appropriately. I will come back to the Deputy to clarify the turnaround time.
14. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department has received any reports from the National Waste Collection Permit Office since March 2025; the issues addressed in any such reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65951/26]
Has the Minister of State's Department received any reports from the National Waste Collection Permit Office? I do not know if his prepared remarks touch on the issue of the number of waste collectors in each local authority area but there is a fear around the impact consolidation is having on consumer prices.
The National Waste Collection Permit Office, which the Deputy will know is hosted by Offaly County Council, is the designated nominated authority for the processing and review of all waste collection permits issued within the State. The Department is, of course, in regular contact with the NWCPO. This contact includes meetings, fora and steering committees to discuss topics including but not limited to the operation of the waste collection market in Ireland, the collection of the waste recovery levy, and the implementation of relevant actions in the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy.
The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy contains a commitment to introduce further measures to incentivise the prevention and segregation of waste. Arising from this commitment, the National Waste Collection Permit Office commissioned an independent study on incentivised waste charging and its potential implementation through the waste collection permitting system. This study, which has been shared with our Department, examines what changes could be made to the permitting system for waste collectors to fully incentivise waste prevention and improve source segregation practices by their customers to minimise their waste collection bills.
Recommendations will be considered in conjunction with outcomes from the recently completed feasibility study into transitioning our national waste collection system from the current competitive licensing system to a franchise model. Both will inform the development of the next iteration of the WAPCE with a view to improving the rates of recycling among households and businesses to meet targets to established by the EU waste framework directive.
The reason I ask this question is that I believe there is a need for a hands-on approach to one particular issue. I do not know if it is the same across the board but in many rural counties we have seen a pattern of behaviour where large multinational waste collection companies decide to come into a county. In the first instance, they try to purchase all the local waste collection services. Where that does not happen, what appear to me to be very aggressive marketing strategies are employed. This can sometimes involve multiple representatives calling to doors and leaflets such as those I have here with me offering knock-down discount prices. The fear is that this is an attempt to monopolise the system outside of the regulations. Is the Minister of State aware of this practice and is he planning to take any action in response?
I am familiar with the practices the Deputy is talking about. There has been debate about them for some time. There is widespread concern that, in some places, there is a multiplicity of waste collection trucks moving around the same area one after another.
That obviously has an impact on the environment, traffic congestion and so on. All of these matters are under review under a broader outlook in terms of the circular economy. From a Government perspective, the strategic approach is to try to reduce and minimise the amount of waste that is out there and to try to get greater reuse of commodities that are generated from scarce resources. It is about reducing the impact on our environment - much of that is about behavioural change and ensuring the appropriate systems are there to encourage our citizens to not disregard or dispense with products that have the capacity to be upcycled. That is very much feeding into our strategy.
I know what the Deputy is talking about, which is the operationalisation of that on the ground. However, over time, the ambition of the Government is to reduce the amount of waste that will ultimately be collected.
We all have a shared objective in that regard; we all want to reduce the amount of waste. The difficulty is that in the scenario I spoke about, where these multinational companies essentially secure de facto monopolies in local authority areas where they are the only real option, the knockdown prices go very quickly. You are then back to what are eye watering, staggering costs for waste collection that would not be in place if there were local competitors. Will the Minister of State ask his Department to carry out an analysis, in conjunction with the National Waste Collection Permit Office, in respect of how many operators have licences and are operating within each local authority area and what the average costs are? I think the analysis will find a correlation between a reduction in providers and an increase in cost. Ultimately, this is a twin-track approach. I agree entirely with the Minister of State that we need to reduce waste but we also need to ensure that our families are not being fleeced by these large corporations which are knocking out all of their competitors outside of an agreed policy framework.
What the Deputy is clearly referring to is the need for a comprehensive policy framework in place that looks at, in the first instance, the reduction of waste through recycling, upcycling and minimisation. That is a given and we all support that. In getting to that better place we want to get to, we must still have a competitive edge or a capacity to manage the cost of waste disposal where certain waste products have to be disposed of. I am certainly prepared to ask the Department to have a further look at what that entails. There are different models out there that have been looked at. There is competition for the marketplace. There is the direct competition of a series of local operators. That is challenging because it is possible for others to buy up licences - that is the marketplace - but, of course, we also have to ensure citizens are not fleeced in the event of predatory practices of some large operators.
15. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will report on updates to Ireland grid as part of PR6; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65910/26]
I thank the Deputy. The system operators, EirGrid and ESB Networks, are charged with responsibility for upgrading our electricity system, including planning and constructing new investments in the grid. They are accountable to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, in that regard. However, investing in and ensuring a fit for purpose electricity grid is an absolute priority for me and the Government. I regularly meet with ESB Networks and with EirGrid - I am meeting with EirGrid later today on its work as well. I meet EirGrid and ESB Networks together every month, specifically on PR 6 and the work programme.
In July, I was very pleased to open ESB Networks' new Bracklone 110 kV substation in Laois. That was the first one of those delivered under the PR 6 programme. There was really good work done. There was also the North-South interconnector, the Moneypoint 400 kV series capacitor and the Letterkenny 100 kV line redevelopment, which are covered under the Critical Infrastructure Act. We saw Moneypoint come through pretty much straight away after that. The system operators are waiting for confirmation from local authorities on planning conditions for the North-South interconnector. Monaghan County Council is the lead local authority. I hope it discharges its consent without any further delay. The Moneypoint capacitor has now received full consent.
That grid investment programme is unprecedented and worth up to €18.9 billion - it is really critical. When you break down the 520 projects, it is really down to 29 transmission projects and 32 distribution projects. Ten of these transmission projects are already under construction. That is really good. One of the priority distribution projects is already completed and three further projects are in construction.
I meet with them every single month to go through the list of the main projects to make sure timelines are not slipping, to identify any risks that are there and to keep the pressure on. I thank ESB Networks and EirGrid for all they are doing.
I thank the Minister for the reply. We saw the Central Bank report yesterday and its concerns that the connection for essential infrastructure like energy and water are clear barriers to the delivery of essential housing, particularly social and affordable housing, and it takes up to four years now. We also saw the impacts of Storm Éowyn, which I saw in my own constituency. Apart from the impact on the grid, there was also flooding in the Listowel area. The Minister mentioned some of the projects that are under way, such as the 29 projects and ten under construction. What are the delivery timelines for them and when does the Minister expect they will be completed?
If we look at some other countries, particularly Denmark, they do not really have an energy crisis. They are totally resilient. The infrastructure is in place there and they are almost completely energy independent. Could the Minister give me some insight into the timelines?
It is important there is visibility across the projects and there is. I have no difficulty in getting that information to the Deputy but the operators make public that detailed information on the progress of investments, and rightly so. In December, CRU published the transmission baseline programme, which sets out all of the transmission projects in PR 6, along with the associated delivery milestones. EirGrid publishes updates in respect of delivery against these milestones every quarter. They are available on their website. It is rightly made public. We are not saying every single project will be delivered on time under this massive programme but I have asked it to really identify and focus on the most critical projects under PR 6. I meet them every month together and I am meeting EirGrid again today. Above all else, this provides that resilience for the grid, allows us to increase our capacity, get more renewables into our system and provide more storage - we are third in Europe for long duration battery storage but we still need more. This is the absolute focus of what we do and the real priority area for us.
The Minister says he meets them regularly. Is he saying the delivery of the projects are all up to date and on time?
No. I said I meet them regularly.
There is an elasticity there.
I have two questions arising from what the Minister said. How far behind are some of the projects or what projects concern the Minister? What steps are being taken to get them up to speed? Second, on grid prioritisation, what is the Minister's view on that and will he support the legislation we brought forward yesterday?
On the projects that are outlined, from the detail I get as to where they are, a lot of them have already commenced and that is good. There is not major slippage within it. We will get the Deputy some details on that. Not every milestone in every project will be hit but I want the majority of them hit. Already, I have given the example of Bracklone in Laois, which was delivered ahead of time and on budget. We really need to get the North-South interconnector started. That is why it is so important that consent is discharged by the lead local authority.
I met representatives from Monaghan, Cavan and Meath over the summer. They were the three local authorities. That needs to start. Above all else, if I were to pick one project that needs to happen it is the Noth-South one. We will look at the Deputy's Bill, which was only published yesterday. I am happy to see what is in it. We will review it and I will come back to him.
16. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment when he expects to publish the Climate Action Plan 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65428/26]
21. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on the planned publication of the Climate Action Plan 2026. [65687/26]
45. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on the status of the Climate Action Plan 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65972/26]
Today is 17 September and no climate action plan for 2026 has been published. I ask for an update on when the Minister will publish the climate action plan for this year or if he plans to publish one this year.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 21 and 45 together.
Before the Aire Stáit continues, I remind the House that I have to cut the time in a few minutes. He has two minutes.
I will always take your direction, a Chathaoirligh Gníomhach.
The Government is committed to delivering on Ireland’s responsibility to address the climate crisis and work remains ongoing across government to implement climate mitigation measures every day. We have a robust climate delivery framework and detailed plans in place across all sectors. The priority is driving implementation, particularly of high-impact measures with multiple societal and economic benefits.
The EPA's latest provisional greenhouse gas emissions inventory, published in July, shows that this is working. Ireland recorded overall emissions reductions for a fourth consecutive year. All main sectors saw reductions in 2025. The Green Party's time in government was helpful in ensuring we remain on that trajectory. Emissions from energy industries decreased for the fourth consecutive year, by 7.1% in 2025, to an all-time low as investment in renewables continues to reduce emissions. Emissions from buildings decreased by 4.7% and tonnes of CO2 per household are at their lowest recorded level. In addition, other sectors also showed reductions with the industry sector emissions down by 3.3%, transport down by 1.5% and agriculture down by 0.2%. Significantly, the EPA's report shows that the first carbon budget has now been achieved on the back of these record emissions reductions.
Ireland now has the lowest level of greenhouse gas emissions in 36 years which is notable given a concurrent population increase of approximately 1.5 million people, more than 1 million new homes and over 1 million extra vehicles on our roads. Given the strong economic growth over this period, we can now see a clear decoupling of growth from emissions which is a key milestone in Ireland's transition to climate neutrality.
It is 17 September and there is still no climate action plan for 2026. The idea behind the climate action plan was that on the one hand we have the five-year carbon budgets making the big economy-wide changes but on the other hand we had to have accountability for what was being done on an annual basis. Those of us in the Opposition, environmental NGOs and the public need to see on an annual basis if the Government is actually passing the measures and implementing the steps that will make those big five-year economy-wide changes possible. We had a series of climate action plans published annually so the Government could be held to account. That is the fundamental problem with the Government's failure to publish the climate action plan for this year: it cannot be held to account. The Minister of State can give his answers with these great five-year plans for the future but what confidence do we have that they will be achieved when we do not know what is to be done in 2026?
We have been waiting for a long time. We were told the plan would be published by the end of quarter 3. I heard the Minister refer to the plan for 2026 being published by the end of October as well as the plan for 2027. It would be very welcome if the Minister of State could confirm that. It is better late than never that the Government is getting its act together. This is about transforming our theoretical targets into practical measures for Departments and Ministers. We cannot hold those Ministers to account unless we know what they are actually trying to do.
Work on finalising the draft of the next update to the climate action plan is currently under way, with the climate action plan programme board providing guidance and oversight of the development of the update. Officials from Departments with responsibility for key sectors have been actively engaged in the process and are working on finalising the update to the plan.
Public consultation on the plan closed last month, with more than 270 submissions received. Officials are carefully considering the views and priorities raised by the public to ensure that they meaningfully inform the next plan. Publication of the plan is expected later this year. This plan will be more focussed and will identify strategic climate priorities that will shape our approach to closing the gap to 2030 and include a range of new actions to support mitigation in all key sectors.
In the meantime, the roll-out of retrofitting measures, renewable energy deployment and more affordable electric vehicles continues at increasing pace. The climate action plans for 2024 and 2025, which build on the series of preceding plans, remain in place and provide a strong framework for delivery of climate action to 2030. Many of their commitments are multi-annual in nature and we will continue to focus on accelerating their delivery.
