Written Answers Nos. 3-23
3. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Taoiseach to provide an updated list of all email and phone lines for use of Oireachtas members within his Department, including all subsidiary bodies, in tabular form. [30782/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with its obligations under Circular 25/2016, the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO), the only body under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach, has a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members: Oireachtas@nesdo.ie. NESDO maybe contacted by telephone at 01-8146300.
Oireachtas members wishing to contact the Department of the Taoiseach can use the following email address: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie or telephone 01-6194000.
4. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Taoiseach if he will provide the list of capital projects for IT services, by his Department or bodies under its aegis, which had contracts valued in excess of €1million that failed to reach completion; the value that was written off, for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30812/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra5. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Taoiseach if he will provide, the list of capital projects, by his Department or bodies under its aegis, which had contracts valued in excess of €5million, which ran over cost in 2023, along with a description of the contract, the initial price and final price provided, in tabular form. [30830/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together.
The Department of the Taoiseach has no capital expenditure subhead in its Estimates and no capital expenditure has been incurred by the Department or the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO), the only body under the aegis of the Department, in the years 2022, 2023 or 2024.
6. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Taoiseach the date for the next planned census. [31013/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 1 March 2022, the Government formally decided to conduct a Census of Population in 2027, to be carried out by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The exact census date has not yet been decided. It is however expected that census data collection will run in April and May 2027.
Census 2027 will be a major undertaking for the CSO as, for the first time in Irish history, the public will have the option to complete their census form online.
While the majority of the public are likely to avail of the new online option, it is expected that several hundred thousand households will opt to handwrite their census responses onto a paper form. Both online and paper census forms will be available in Irish and English. This is a complex digital transformation programme, which involves a fundamental redesign of how the census is conducted.
The CSO continues to advance preparatory work for Census 2027. The final date of the census, and the final content of the census form, will be subject to Government decision in due course.
7. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Taoiseach the number of retired officials that were re-engaged by his Department on a consultancy basis in the past four years and to date in 2025; the reason for engaging them; the costs incurred in respect of their engagement; and if his Department requires consultants to declare conflicts of interest in advance of utilising their services. [31280/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraNo retired officials have been re-engaged by the Department of the Taoiseach on a consultancy basis in the past four years or to date in 2025.
8. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the list of each instance in which the Government granted approval as required under Article 40.2.2 of the Constitution to a citizen to accept a title of nobility or honour over the past ten years, specifying the name of the citizen, the name of the title, the bestower of the title, and the date of the meeting of Government at which approval was granted; and sum of the total number of approvals granted by year over that period, in tabular form. [31288/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraArticle 40.2.2 of the Constitution states that “No title of nobility or of honour may be accepted by any citizen except with the prior approval of the Government.” The reference to "title of nobility or of honour" has been interpreted, in accordance with advice from the Attorney General, as referring to honours conferred by or on behalf of a sovereign authority, the recipients of which become entitled, by the law or custom of the foreign State in question, to use prefixes to their names such as “Sir”, “Dame”, “Lord” or "Marquis”.
If a foreign Government wishes to make any such award to an Irish citizen, the standard practice is that the relevant accredited foreign diplomatic mission would notify my Department of the conferral of the award. It is noted that rights, privileges or dignities deriving from the award of a title of nobility or honour subsist solely within the jurisdiction conferring it and any other jurisdiction that may recognise rights, privileges or dignities as flowing from it. Under Irish law, such a title confers no rights, entitlements or dignities. Moreover, awards that provide for the use of letters or marks of distinction after one's name or involve the presentation of medals, ribbons or academic honours are not regarded as conferring a title of nobility or of honour in this context.
Based on a review of records held by my Department, I can confirm that the Government has considered 14 awards conferring a “title of nobility or of honour” over the past ten years. A table outlining each of these awards is set out below. The table reflects recent practice of not placing individuals’ names on the official record of the Oireachtas in the context of matters of this nature.
In the case of awards conferred by the UK, the recipients of the awards in each instance have been dual Irish-British citizens.
In relation to ten of the instances summarised below, listed in the table as “No Decision”, the honours in question were extended to the Irish citizens concerned before the conferral was brought to the attention of the Government.
No facility exists for retrospective approval by the Government. My Department regularly reminds the relevant authorities that the prior approval of the Government should be sought where awards of the nature outlined in Article 40.2.2 of the Constitution are to be conferred on an Irish citizen.
|
- |
Date of Consideration |
Country Conferring the Award |
Title of Award |
Government Decision |
|
1 |
09/06/2015 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
2 |
03/11/2015 |
Grenada |
Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation |
Approved |
|
3 |
03/11/2015 |
Antigua and Barbuda |
Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation |
No decision |
|
4 |
03/11/2015 |
Antigua and Barbuda |
Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation |
No decision |
|
5 |
17/05/2016 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
6 |
24/05/2022 |
UK |
Damehood of the Order of the British Empire |
Approved |
|
7 |
24/05/2022 |
UK |
Damehood of the Order of the British Empire |
No decision |
|
8 |
04/07/2023 |
UK |
Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George |
No decision |
|
9 |
04/07/2023 |
UK |
Damehood of the Order of the British Empire |
No decision |
|
10 |
04/07/2023 |
UK |
Knighthood of the Order the British Empire |
No decision |
|
11 |
25/06/2024 |
UK |
Damehood of the Order of the British Empire |
No decision |
|
12 |
25/06/2024 |
UK |
Damehood of the Order of the British Empire |
No decision |
|
13 |
25/06/2024 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
No decision |
|
14 |
19/03/2025 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
No decision |
9. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide assistance to an Irish citizen (details supplied) who has been arrested by the Israeli military and remains in custody awaiting a court date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30762/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra10. Deputy John Lahart asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on efforts by the department and consular offices to secure the release of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30764/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra16. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he has taken to secure the release of an Irish woman detained by Israel in the West Bank (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31215/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 10 and 16 together.
Thank you, Deputy, for raising this case.
I can confirm that officials in my Department and the Embassy of Ireland, Israel, are aware of this case and are providing consular assistance to the citizen concerned.
Since first being notified of this case, officials in the Irish Embassy have been actively engaging with the relevant authorities in Israel as part of our efforts to provide consular assistance to the citizen.
It is my understanding that as long as the citizen chooses not to leave Israel voluntarily, she will be detained until a formal decision is taken by the Israeli authorities. In that instance, my officials will continue to provide all possible consular assistance to the citizen.
I can further confirm that Embassy officials have been in direct contact with the citizen in recent days and that a dedicated case officer has also been assigned to the family and is in ongoing contact with them.
As the Deputy will appreciate, it would not be appropriate or helpful for me to comment further on an ongoing consular case.
11. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide an updated list of all email and phone lines for use of Oireachtas members within his Department, including all subsidiary bodies, in tabular form. [30774/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following phone line is available to Oireachtas members within my Department:
|
Departmental Division |
Type of Service for Oireachtas Members |
|
Passport Service |
Phone line |
In October 2021, the Passport Service established a phone line to respond to Oireachtas Members' queries on urgent passport cases. It is important to note that this phone line does not function as a means of expediting passport applications.
In each case raised by an Oireachtas Member, the Passport Service reviews the application in question. However, applications can only be expedited in cases of genuine emergency such as a need for urgent medical treatment overseas or the death of a family member abroad. Such applications are expedited through the Travel Emergency service.
In cases where the estimated issue-by date has passed and all required supporting documents have been submitted, the Passport Service will prioritise the application to ensure that no further delay is experienced.
I encourage Deputies to make their constituents aware that the Passport Service has an award-winning Customer Service Hub, with phone and webchat agents available Monday to Friday, 9am - 4.30pm. Passport Serivce agents can help answer all types of passport-related queries. The Customer Service Hub phoneline is available at +353 1 671 1633 or via webchat through Ireland.ie.
12. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide the list of capital projects for IT services, by his Department or bodies under its aegis, which had contracts valued in excess of €1million that failed to reach completion; the value that was written off, for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30804/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department's ICT projects are managed and delivered under its Digital Transformation Strategy. A decision was made in 2023 that the contract for a new Passport Integrated and Processing System should be concluded due to the contract terms not being met. The project is now being delivered under an alternate contract.
|
YEAR |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Amount |
Nil |
€218,230 |
Nil |
The Passport Integrated and Processing System (PIPS) was to replace the old back office, passport operating system. This system is called APS (Automated Passport System) was developed 20 years ago and is at end of life. This system facilitates the workflow around the processing of applications and their approval/rejection (currently handling in excess of 1 million application per annum). Following an EU procurement process the contract was signed in September 2021 and the contractor was appointed to develop this new back office operating system, called PIPS. The sum of €218,230, was paid to the contractor on 9 December 2021 on successful completion of the first milestone in accordance with the terms of the contract. As milestone payments to the contractor were conditional upon achievement of milestones no further milestone payments were made. In line with advice from CSSO the contract was terminated in September 2023, and for accounting purposes, as previously published and as reflected in the 2023 vote28 appropriation account, the sum of €218,230 was written off, in accordance with accounting principles. No termination payments were made by the Department to the contractor on foot of the mutually agreed early termination of the contract.
Conscious of the need to replace the old APS system the Department has identified and appointed a contractor to design and implement a new system. This work is progressing well with phase 1 scheduled to roll out later this year and implementation to be completed in 2026.
13. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide, the list of capital projects, by his Department or bodies under its aegis, which had contracts valued in excess of €5million, which ran over cost in 2023, along with a description of the contract, the initial price and final price provided, in tabular form. [30822/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department had no capital projects in excess of €5 million which ran over cost in 2023.
14. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to establish a passport printing service at the Cork passport office, which would help ensure a quicker turnaround period for applicants availing of the urgent passport renewal appointment service at this location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30904/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Passport Online service offers citizens the ability to apply online for their passport 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This award-winning service has allowed for the centralisation of passport processing and has resulted in greater efficiencies for our citizens and for the Passport Service. Passport Online is a user-friendly, efficient service that is currently issuing the vast majority of adult renewal passports within 2 to 4 days.
Over 93% of all passport applications are now made through the Passport Online channel which is available to 99.9% of all applicants globally.
The Passport Service operates three passport book printing machines: two machines are located in the main production facility at the Balbriggan campus and the third machine is located in the Dublin 2 Passport Office. The printing and dispatch of passports is a highly automated process in what is, essentially, an industrial production system.
The Passport Service estimates the initial capital cost of purchasing and installing new printer and mailing machine to be approximately €5.3 million.
In addition to the capital investment, these highly sophisticated machines require expert engineers to be on-site while the machines are in operation to maintain and service the machines and repair them when necessary. The running and maintenance costs alone are is estimated to be €600,000 per year.
The public offices of the Passport Service in Cork, and Dublin 2, operate an Urgent Appointment service for renewal applications. The Dublin 2 office offers a one-day and four-day turnaround service, while the Cork office offers a four-day turnaround service. Our records show that just 1-2% of all passport applicants avail of the Urgent Appointment service. During 2024, there were an average of 240 urgent appointments for a four-day turnaround service available in Cork each week. Throughout that year, 26% of appointments available in Cork were booked.
For these reasons, at the moment, a business case cannot be made to invest this level of funds to facilitate the very small proportion of applicants who wish to have their passport renewed within one day in Cork.
I am satisfied that the current Passport Online service and production capacity meets the needs of passport applicants. The Passport Service will continue to consider ways in which to enhance this essential citizen service.
15. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on the EU-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations. [31059/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is the stated goal of the European Commission and India to conclude a trade agreement by the end of 2025. Ireland supports this ambition.
Recent developments in the international trading environment have highlighted more than ever the importance of market diversification via an expanded set of EU Free Trade Agreements. As a result, there is increased momentum behind the deal, which is key to strengthening the strategic partnership between the EU and India.
To date there have been eleven rounds of negotiations and several chapters of the Agreement are now agreed in principle, with good progress being achieved in other areas. Last month my officials were briefed by the European Commission on the outcome of the latest round of negotiations which took place in New Delhi between 12 and 16 May.
Intensive work is being undertaken to achieve an economically meaningful agreement with good market access for EU firms. The 12th round of negotiations for a comprehensive deal is currently planned to take place in Brussels at the beginning of July. EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Indian Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal have met several times in recent months, most recently in the margins of the OECD Ministerial Council in Paris on 2 June.
Ireland fully supports free, fair and open trade and will continue to work with the EU and all Member States to negotiate a beneficial deal with India.
17. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware that a small number of students who were granted J1 visas are now not permitted to travel by the US authorities; whether his Department is engaging with the US authorities to have this restriction lifted, as has been done for Indian applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31263/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am not aware of any specific restriction on travel by US authorities imposed on Irish or Indian students who have been granted J1 visas. I am aware that the US authorities in March highlighted social media activity in regard to their processing of student visa application. Following this, they instructed their diplomatic missions to pause new appointments for interviews for certain categories visas, including student visas. This is a global development, affecting all US visa processing offices, including in Dublin. US visas and their processing is of course the sole remit of the US authorities. Nevertheless, my Department is in ongoing contact with the US Embassy in Dublin, as well as with a number of the J1 programme providers. My current understanding is that existing appointments have not been cancelled, and that new applicants can continue to submit applications. A large majority of the approximately 5,000 J1 summer applicants from Ireland for this year have already been processed through the visa interview stage.
Any members of the public with queries in relation to the visa interview pause should seek information from the relevant US authorities, and from their J1 programme providers in the first instance. My Department will continue to be in regular contact with the US Embassy in Dublin on this issue and we have raised our concerns about the impact on citizens, in particular on students planning to travel in the coming period. We will continue to monitor this situation very closely.
18. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of retired officials that were re-engaged by his Department on a consultancy basis in the past four years and to date in 2025; the reason for engaging them; the costs incurred in respect of their engagement; and if his Department requires consultants to declare conflicts of interest in advance of utilising their services. [31272/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department engages consultancy services where highly specialised skills are not available internally and in particular, where ongoing independent evaluation of programmes and projects is necessary. All consultancy procurement in the Department is carried out in accordance with relevant procurement legislation and EU Directives.
No retired officials were re-engaged by this Department on a consultancy basis in the past four years, including to date in 2025.
19. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will give detailed and urgent consideration to a recent report (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30944/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra20. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if it is still the Government’s intention to proceed with ‘private wire’ legislation to allow data centre operators to connect to their own source of power generation; if it is still the plan to publish the proposed legislation in the current year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30879/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraHaving received Government approval, on 4 July last year, my Department published a set of guiding principles for the development of a policy on private wires. Alongside the guiding principles, a summary report of the Private Wires Public Consultation and an appendix setting out all responses received was also published.
The principles, while not making immediate changes, are to guide any changes which are to come and provide guidance to the public and industry as to the direction of travel in respect of this key area, while reiterating the central role the national electricity grid will continue to play in the electricity system.
The private wires policy will aim to unlock private sector resources to build new electricity infrastructure by expanding the rights of private undertakings to connect supply directly with demand. The intention is that “private wires” will accelerate investment in new electricity infrastructure, including renewable generation and storage, in a manner consistent with the guiding principles of private wire policy.
Developing a private wires policy is of importance to this Government and an action was included in the Programme for Government to expedite the delivery of this policy. This is a complicated area with lots of potential options. Work on the policy is ongoing within my Department. I anticipate that initial policy proposals will be published in the coming months.
21. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a breakdown of the funding provided to the warmer homes scheme in each of the years 2020 to 2025, in tabular form. [31614/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra32. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a breakdown of the funding provided for the better energy warmer homes scheme in each of the years 2020 to 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31335/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 32 together.
The Warmer Homes Scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people in 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.
Last year saw a record spend of almost €230 million under the scheme. This resulted in 7,743 upgrades being provided to low-income households, a 31% increase on 2023. This year’s budget includes an allocation of €280 million for the Warmer Homes Scheme. This represents an 11-fold increase on the 2020 expenditure figure.
The table below shows the breakdown of funding for the scheme from 2020 to 2025.
|
Year |
Capital Expenditure (€m) |
|
2020 |
€23.4 |
|
2021 |
€38.1 |
|
2022 |
€92.7 |
|
2023 |
€158.5 |
|
2024 |
€229.6 |
|
2025 |
€280 (budgeted) |
These increased budgets have allowed the scheme to deliver a greater number of deeper and more complex upgrades in recent years. My officials continue to work with the SEAI to maximise and accelerate the output of fully funded energy upgrades provided under this important scheme.
22. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a breakdown of the funding provided for smart heater control grants in each of the years 2020 to 2025, by year, in tabular form. [31602/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra28. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a breakdown of the funding available for smart heat control grants in each of the years 2020 to 2025; the amount drawn down each year; the amount carried over each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31330/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 28 together.
The installation of heating controls is one of the energy efficiency measures supported under the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administered grant schemes. Heating controls can be an excellent way to control a household's energy usage and improve comfort.
Budget 2025 has allocated approximately €550 million for residential and community retrofit schemes. There is no ring-fenced budget allocation for heating control measures.
A fixed-rate grant of €700 is available towards the cost of installing heating controls. This is available under all the part-funded residential retrofit schemes. Heating controls can also be installed as part of a wider retrofit under the fully funded Warmer Homes scheme.
Data from the SEAI shows the following numbers of grants for heating controls under the part-funded Better Energy Homes Scheme for the period 2020-April 2025:
• 2020: 7,173 grants for heating controls supported;
• 2021: 2,789 grants for heating controls supported;
• 2022: 1,602 grants for heating controls supported;
• 2023: 1,098 grants for heating controls supported;
• 2024: 842 grants for heating controls supported; and
• to end April 2025, 199 grants for heating controls supported.
Heating controls may also be installed as part of more extensive upgrade projects under the One Stop Shop, Community Energy Grant and Warmer Homes schemes. These are not included in the above figures, since they are not routinely provided to my Department by the SEAI.
SEAI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that such queries can be addressed promptly, in line with SEAI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@seai.ie.
23. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the number of sustainable energy communities that were funded in the years of 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30898/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC) Programme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
The programme supports the low carbon energy transition by developing skills and capacity, at a community level, in determining how to use less energy, adopting lower carbon options for transport and heating, shifting energy use to off-peak times and investing in smart technologies.
The SEAI provides 100% funding to communities to undertake energy master plans. These plans allow a community to assess and understand its current and future energy needs (in electricity, heat and transport) in order for the community to make informed decisions and prioritise actions. It helps communities to identify opportunities so they can become more energy efficient, use renewable energy where possible, and use smart energy technology if appropriate.
|
Year |
Number of SECs supported through programme funding |
Number of energy master plan grants approved |
|
2024 |
131 |
38 |
|
2025 (to date) |
83 |
13 |
