Written Answers Nos. 154-168
154. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to estimate the total cost of the attendance of the Irish delegation at the "COP 30" conference in Brazil; to state the estimated carbon footprint or carbon cost of the Irish delegation attending the conference; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65592/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra155. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to state the total cost of the attendance of the Irish delegation for the COP conference in each year in 2022, 2023 and 2024; to state the estimated carbon footprint or carbon cost of the Irish delegation attending the conference each year in 2022, 2023 and 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65595/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 155 together.
The Government is committed to the achievement of the objective of the UNFCCC and the goals of the Paris Agreement as the multilateral mechanisms to address the causes and consequences of climate change.
I travelled to COP30 in Belém, and undertook a range of important engagements with our development partners, as well as bilateral meetings with senior government representatives.
Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade were fully engaged with the COP30 process throughout, and formed part of the delegation at the conference in Brazil, together with officials from a range of other Departments and agencies.
The costs associated with the Department's participation at the COP30 conference are not yet finalised. Once all financial matters related to COP30 are closed, I will be happy to furnish full details from the Department. In relation to the Department’s estimated carbon footprint or carbon cost related to attending the conference, this is a matter that officials will review in the weeks following COP, and again I will be happy to furnish further details as and when this information becomes available.
It has not been possible to collate complete information for the COP conferences in the years 2022, 2023 and 2024 as requested by the Deputy in the time allowed. I will, however, make arrangements to reply to the Deputy in line with Standing Orders once the information is to hand.
|
Costs |
2022 (COP27) |
2023 (COP28) |
2024 (COP29) |
2025 (COP30) |
|
Flights |
€8,652.80 |
€29,091.77 |
€12,093.04 |
€31,573.85 |
|
Hotels |
€11,983.45 |
€52,284.45 |
€55,746.46 |
€55,540.03 |
|
Expenses |
€11,257.77 |
€15,056.28 |
€7,925.93 |
€10,126.12 |
|
Total |
€31,894.02 |
€96,432.50 |
€63,672.39 |
€97,240.00 |
|
Carbon (Tonnes) |
6.56 |
9.53 |
3.69 |
14.04 |
156. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of embassies, missions and consulates operated by her Department; the total WTE staff and cost of each by host country/mission, for each year since 2015. [65804/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra157. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of former secretary generals, retired civil servants, directors of service, retired city/county managers or those of a similar grade in her Department that have subsequently served on state boards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66001/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are no State Boards or Agencies operating under the aegis of my Department.
State Boards is part of Publicjobs, the centralised provider of recruitment, assessment and selection services for the Civil Service, Local Authorities, the Health Service Executive, An Garda Síochána and public bodies. The process to identify qualified candidates is open and transparent and State Boards work to deliver high-quality governance and accountability through the appointment of diverse, talented and committed board members who reflect the diversity of Irish society. Information on State Board membership and on potential opportunities arising are published at on the State Boards section of the Publicjobs website.
Records are not maintained by this Department of retired officers who may have applied for such positions.
158. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on a foreign birthright application (details supplied). [66028/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR or Naturalisation.
Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, is a detailed and complex process, often involving official documentation relating to three generations and issued by several jurisdictions. Such documents take considerable time to validate.
FBR applications are currently being processed within the normal turnaround time of 9 months from receipt of all required supporting documents. Applications that require further supporting documents will take longer to process.
With regard to the specific FBR application about which the Deputy has enquired, this application and supporting documents were received by the Passport Service on 23 August 2024. It was examined by the FBR Entitlement team on 13 June 2025, deemed incomplete and additional documents were requested. Additional documents were received by the Passport Service on 08 September 2025. The application is currently queuing to be re-examined by the FBR Entitlement team. An entitlement officer will be in contact with the applicant again should any further clarification be required.
Should assistance be required with a FBR application, our Customer Service agents are available through phone and webchat services, from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. They can be contacted at +353 1 671 1633, or via the webchat service: www.ireland.ie/contactpassportservice
159. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her views on the current situation in Sudan; the action being taken in concert with EU partners; the details of the humanitarian aid Ireland has provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66063/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government remains deeply concerned by the devastating conflict in Sudan, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian and protection crisis, with more than 150,000 people already dead, over 12 million people forcibly displaced and over 21 million people facing crisis levels of hunger, including famine.
I am appalled by the targeting of civilians by all parties to the conflict. We have seen horrifying atrocities at the hands of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El-Fasher and escalating violence in North Darfur and the Kordofans. Large-scale, ethnically motivated atrocities, including summary executions, sexual and gender-based violence and detentions of civilians are part of a widespread pattern, including the use of rape and starvation as weapons of war. These actions are unconscionable and must stop.
There must be accountability and justice for such atrocities. Ireland, together with Germany, UK, Netherlands and Norway, succeeded in ensuring the adoption of a resolution on the situation in El Fasher at a Special Session of the Human Rights Council on 14 November. The resolution requests the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan to conduct an urgent inquiry into the violations and abuses of international human rights and humanitarian law committed in and around El Fasher. The environment of impunity in Sudan must end.
Ireland has taken a leading role in initiating discussions which led to the establishment of the EU sanctions regime. The EU Foreign Affairs Council in October adopted Council Conclusions strongly condemning the ongoing conflict. Ireland successfully called for Sudan to be placed on the agenda at this month’s EU Foreign Affairs Council, which adopted restrictive measures against a senior RSF commander. I
We will continue to work internationally with our EU and other partners to call on all parties to adhere to their obligations to protect civilians and aid workers, and to ensure immediate, unconditional, and unhindered humanitarian access, in full compliance with international humanitarian law.
Ireland has provided €14.3 million in humanitarian assistance in 2025 to support communities in Sudan and those displaced in neighbouring countries. This assistance is channelled through UN and Red Cross partners, Irish NGOs, and local organisations to provide food, medical supplies, household supplies and other life-saving aid to those most in need. We are committed to further increasing our assistance in 2026.
160. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount her Department and any body under her aegis have spent on the services of a company (details supplied), by year and organisation in the years 2020 to 1 November 2025, in tabular form. [66079/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has reviewed expenditure for the period 1st January 2020 to 1st November 2025 for the named company.
No payments to that company have been identified.
161. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount her Department and any body under her aegis have spent on the services of a company (details supplied), by year and organisation in the years 2020 to 1 November 2025, in tabular form. [66097/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has reviewed expenditure for the period 1st January 2020 to 1st November 2025 for the named company. One payment has been identified, see table below:
|
Year |
Value of Payments |
|
2020 |
- |
|
2021 |
- |
|
2022 |
- |
|
2023 |
653 |
|
2024 |
- |
|
2025 (To 1st Nov) |
- |
|
|
|
|
Total |
653
|
162. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason the online passport application website is directing applicants who require translation services to solely use translators registered with a company (details supplied) only; the accreditation that exists for the use of this one company for such services; and the position in cases in which the company has no one to translate certain languages. [66107/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008, as amended (“the Act“). The Act provides a legal basis for the various policies and procedures that are applied by the Passport Service in the issuing of passports.
The Passport Service takes its responsibility to protect the integrity of the Irish passport very seriously. Due to the strength of the security features within the passport book and the robust processes involved in its issuance, the Irish passport has a strong international reputation. Recently, the Irish passport was ranked fourth in the Henley Global Passport Index as it provides our citizens with visa-free access to 187 countries. Accordingly, a rigorous analysis process is in place to verify the identity and citizenship status of first time applicants.
First time passport applicants are required to submit documentation to validate their identity and entitlement to Irish citizenship. If any of these documents are not in English or Irish, applicants are required to submit a certified translation completed by a translation service provider registered with the Association of Translators and Interpreters Ireland (ATII), formerly known as the ITIA.
In cases where the language is not listed on the ATII, a certified translation from a verifiable translation company will be accepted.
Applicants who may have queries related to supporting documents or translations can contact the Customer Service Hub at +353 1 671 1633, or via the WebChat service: www.ireland.ie/contactpassportservice/. Agents are available services from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
163. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to expedite a passport application for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66165/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith regard to the specific application, the passport has been printed and dispatched to the applicant.
164. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide the Department’s annual expenditure on State Claims Agency costs for the years 2020–2025. [66359/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department generally seeks advice on domestic legal matters from the Office of the Attorney General and/or the Chief State Solicitor’s Office. Depending on the subject matter, litigation is dealt with on my Department’s behalf by the Attorney General’s Office, the Chief State Solicitor’s Office or the State Claims Agency, which engages lawyers to act for the Department where necessary.
Annual expenditure with the State Claims Agency is detailed in the table below:
|
Year |
€ Value of Payments |
|
2020 |
69,353 |
|
2021 |
34,548 |
|
2022 |
84,455 |
|
2023 |
548,367 |
|
2024 |
167,991 |
|
2025 (To 20th Nov) |
71,876 |
|
|
|
|
Total |
976,590 |
165. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update in respect of proposed legislation and supporting regulations to provide low-cost EV charging solutions for those without access to off-street parking; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65154/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraZero Emission Vehicles Ireland is a dedicated Office in the Department of Transport which, amongst other things, is working to ensure that the necessary public and private vehicle charging infrastructure is made available. A challenge has arisen in the area of providing low-cost charging solutions for those without access to off-street parking, and the potential for these charging solutions to include the running of electricity lines in public or shared spaces to enable charging. One of the four use cases under which private wires will be permitted, is to allow private wires to be a solution to allow for on street charging of electric vehicles.
Having received Government approval for the Private Wires Policy Statement in July this year, my Department has initiated the process of drafting the necessary Private Wires legislation. Engagement with key stakeholders such as ESBN, the CRU, the Department of Transport and others is ongoing, and I expect the general scheme of the Private Wires Bill to be submitted to Cabinet for approval by the end of the year. Formal drafting of the Bill will commence next year.
166. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on the Marine Protected Areas Bill; when the Bill will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65898/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 12 November the Government approved the preparation of a General Scheme for the Maritime Area Planning (Marine Protected Areas) (Amendment) Bill which will amend the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021. The Bill will provide a legislative basis for the designation and effective management of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Irish waters.
This revised approach moves away from creating a third system of spatial designations in Irish waters previously proposed and, instead, aligns the marine protected area designation process with the current regulatory system for marine spatial planning. In this regard, the Maritime Area Planning (Marine Protected Areas) (Amendment) Bill will amend the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021 to allow for the designation and effective management of MPAs using the Act’s existing spatial planning tool, termed Designated Maritime Area Plans (DMAPs). This approach will provide for the key elements which will underpin effective marine protection.
This decision and its expected legislative outcome will further enable Ireland to meet its target of protecting 30% of the maritime area in an ecologically coherent manner by 2030. It is intended to bring a general scheme to Government as soon as possible in 2026.
167. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the number of domestic electricity customers in arrears and the average value of the arrears; the number of commercial electricity customers in arrears; the number of domestic gas customers in arrears and the average value of the arrears; the number of commercial gas customers in arrears; the number of domestic electricity customers in arrears for more than 90-days; the number of domestic gas customers in arrears for more than 90-days; the number of domestic electricity disconnections; the number of domestic gas disconnections; for the months available from July 2025 to date in 2025, in tabular form. [65301/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraRegulation of retail energy markets is solely a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) since the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 and subsequent legislation.
However, officials from my Department correspond with CRU on an ongoing basis to track developments in retail and wholesale energy markets including the effect of Government supports on arrears levels, among other indicators.
The CRU releases market monitoring data monthly to the Department inclusive of key items such as estimated annual bills for households and those number of households in payment arrears on their electricity and gas bills. The most recent of these releases includes the most up to date estimated annual bills and the latest available data on the number of customers in arrears. As arrears data operates with a two-month time lag due to the way suppliers report these figures to the CRU, the latest arrears data, which is available on the CRU website, is for September 2025. An update on the latest figures of customers currently in arrears is set out below:
|
Customers in Arrears |
Number in Arrears |
Volume of arrears |
Number of disconnections |
Arrears<90 days |
|
Domestic Electricity |
297,313 |
€ 461.92 |
373 |
187,307 |
|
Domestic Gas |
179,576 |
€ 189.50 |
108 |
153,658 |
|
Non-Domestic Electricity |
41,300 |
n/a |
40 |
n/a |
|
Non-Domestic Gas |
5,931 |
n/a |
8 |
n/a |
The Deputy may wish to engage directly with CRU in relation to the matters raised. CRU provides a dedicated email address, oireachtas@cru.ie, for Oireachtas members which enables them to raise questions on general energy regulatory matters.
168. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for the expansion on HVO usage to include home heating; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64348/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraHydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) is a bioliquid which can be used as a renewable energy and which, in a transport context, is classified as a biofuel. HVO is currently available for consumers to purchase for both transport and heating purposes.
The National Heat Study, published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, recommended that heat pumps are the optimal decarbonisation path for heating systems in decarbonising buildings, with district heating also being an option that can be widely deployed. However, the Heat Study also recognised the potential role for sustainable bioenergy for buildings that require alternative routes to decarbonisation, and that is being considered as part of a suite of measures to decarbonise heat.
The Programme for Government 2025 commits to targeting older homes still using oil to switch to renewable heating systems and to consider the use of sustainable bioliquids to reduce emissions from existing home boilers where deep retrofits are not possible in the short term. These commitments are framing the work underway to develop a Heat Policy Statement and a Roadmap to Phase Out Fossil Fuel Heating Systems.
My Department is also working on the introduction of a Renewable Heat Obligation (RHO) for the heat sector. Under current proposals, the RHO will obligate suppliers of all fossil fuels used for heating purposes to ensure a proportion of the energy they supply is renewable. As such, all renewable fuels, including bioliquids used for heat that satisfy the sustainability criteria of the Renewable Energy Directive, will be considered eligible for certification under the scheme. The RHO Heads of Bill were approved by Government and drafting of the RHO legislation is currently underway.
