Written Answers Nos. 41-61
41. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for a comprehensive overview of all the legislative changes, including secondary legislation, introducing a for-profit mandate to the Electricity Supply Board since 1990. [67866/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra42. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for a comprehensive overview of all the legislative changes, including secondary legislation, unbundling any previously bundled Electricity Supply Board services since 1990. [67867/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra43. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for a comprehensive overview of all the legislative changes, including secondary legislation, underpinning the privatisation or sale of Electricity Supply Board assets or services since 1990. [67868/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 42 and 43 together.
ESB is a commercial State body, under the aegis of my Department, established under the Electricity Supply Act 1927. ESB is a body corporate, and a separate legal entity to the Department.
The information the Deputy has requested is publicly available and can be found as follows:
www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/
www.irishstatutebook.ie/
44. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the details of the revenue generated to date by the waste recovery levy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67981/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe waste recovery levy is currently charged at a rate of €10 per tonne for recovery activities at landfills, waste to energy plants, co-incineration plants and the export of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) for onward recovery. Since the introduction of the waste recovery levy in September 2023, €30.3million has been collected and paid into the Circular Economy Fund.
Circular Economy Fund Accounts are prepared on an annual basis. These accounts are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General and laid before the Oireachtas. Copies of the Accounts are available at: [][www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/publications/circular-economy-fund-accounts/].
The Circular Economy Fund continues to play an important role in supporting projects that drive behavioural change, build capacity in the circular economy and foster innovation in waste reduction and resource efficiency as provided for under section 8(9) of the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022. The strategic direction of the Fund going forward will be informed by several key policy developments, notably the forthcoming Second Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy and the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy which will be updated in 2026.
45. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department has carried out an assessment on the costs associated with the programme for Government commitment to invest in waste sorting technology in the material recovery facility network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68028/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra46. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department has engaged with any industry stakeholders, including waste management companies, in relation to the Programme for Government commitment to invest in waste sorting technology in the material recovery facility network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68029/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 45 and 46 together.
The waste management market in Ireland, including both the waste collection and waste treatment industries, is almost exclusively operated by private companies who operate under waste collection and waste facility authorisations issued by the local authority sector and/or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As such any additional investment in waste sorting technology is primarily a matter for the waste industry which I understand is already developing a number of investment proposals, some in collaboration with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes. Any potential future investment involving public funds would be preceded by rigorous costing and business analysis.
The role of the Department, as set out in the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy (WAPCE), is to provide an overall policy and regulatory approach to support the development of adequate and appropriate treatment capacity at indigenous facilities to ensure that the full circularity and resource potential of materials is captured in Ireland.
The Regional Waste Management Planning Offices launched a new National Waste Management Plan (NWMP) in 2024 which sets out the required actions at local and regional levels to deliver on the WAPCE and support Ireland's circular economy transition including several specific actions to address domestic waste treatment infrastructure challenges.
In keeping with the polluter pays principle, Extended Producer Responsibility Schemes also have a key role in meeting national collection and recycling targets and in supporting investment to ensure that as much material as possible can be recycled and recovered domestically.
The WAPCE will be updated in 2026 to ensure that it aligns with and drives the implementation of the new Circular Economy Strategy which will be published shortly. The updated WAPCE will also reflect the commitments given in the Programme for Government and will inform and give direction to waste planning and management in Ireland, the delivery of appropriate infrastructure, and how we can enhance our capacity to transform waste into secondary materials and create a culture of circular behaviour.
47. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether his Department intends to introduce a requirement for the publication of annual, material-specific recycling data under the Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy 2026-2028, in order to improve monitoring of progress towards national and EU recycling targets. [68030/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the competent authority for the collation of and reporting on waste and recycling data on an annual basis in Ireland. It compiles national waste statistics from various sources which are used for official reporting, policy development, and public information. The EPA is also responsible for the collection and annual reporting of national waste statistics. This includes data on municipal waste generation and treatment, such as material-specific recycling rates. This data is used to track Ireland's progress against European and national waste targets.
The forthcoming second Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy (2026-2028) will make the business case for the circular economy setting a holistic vision, supporting practices such as eco-design, repair, reuse, recycling and re-manufacturing.
The strategy will set sectoral actions and targets covering aspects such as reductions in resource use and increases in reuse/repair. The monitoring framework will include metrics that measure those target areas (e.g. material consumption or virgin material use by sector, reuse/repair rates) so that Government can track each sector against its associated actions and targets.
The Public Consultation on the Strategy closed in early November and my officials are now reviewing the submissions with a view to publishing the Strategy early next year.
48. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 34 of 15 December 2021, if the €75 payment towards helping people meet the cost of waste disposal in situations of long term incontinence pad use referred to was ever introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68108/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to the reply to Question No 215 of 20 November 2025. The position is unchanged.
49. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if the recently closed offshore wind auction, Tonn Nua is a minimum cost of all electricity produced or consumed; to provide details of the estimated minimum for electricity consumed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68130/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 26 November, I was delighted to announce the provisional results of my Department's Tonn Nua offshore wind auction. The result of the highly competitive auction surpassed expectations, with a price of €98.719 per megawatt hour secured from the winning bidder Helvick Head Offshore Wind DAC, a joint venture between ESB and Danish renewable energy developer Ørsted. This price compares very favourably to recent offshore energy auctions in other jurisdictions and the price secured in Ireland's recent onshore RESS 5 auction. It is also significantly lower than the €114 average wholesale electricity price in Ireland to date in 2025.
The auction has secured 900 megawatts of clean energy, enough to power almost 1 million homes. It will save 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions each year after its construction, making a sizable contribution to Ireland's wider climate and renewable electricity targets.
The cost to consumers of electricity used is determined by the tariffs charged by individual electricity suppliers. Consumers can save on their electricity costs by regularly shopping around for the best tariff rates available and there are a number of comparison sites to help consumers identify the best tariffs and to make switching easier. Tariffs charged by suppliers are influenced to a large degree by prices on the wholesale electricity market.
The winners of the Tonn Nua auction will be required to sell the electricity they generate into the wholesale electricity market. Reports have previously shown that the price on wholesale markets decreases on days with the most wind energy and so the Tonn Nua site will further contribute to that positive effect.
As a two-way contract for difference, the Tonn Nua strike price serves to determine whether transfer payments are made, by reference to wholesale market prices. On days when wholesale prices are higher than the strike price, the supplier makes a transfer payment to the PSO, and vice versa when wholesale prices are lower than the strike price.
50. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Defence if she is aware that 58% of appointments at the rank of commandant in the Army Reserve are vacant; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the equivalent number of vacancies for the Naval Service Reserve is 50% and that there have been no promotions to this rank in over four years, despite qualified candidates having been interviewed; her views on the effects of a lack of senior officers on the revitalisation plan for the RDF arising out of the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. [67344/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe military authorities have advised that the Defence Forces have recently concluded Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve promotion board deliberations that will substantially address vacancies at Commandant (AR) and Lieutenant Commander (NSR) ranks in the Reserve Defence Forces.
A delay in progressing these promotions was due to the requirement for an amendment to Defence Force Regulation R5 to enable the convening of a national authority for RDF promotion competitions, a practice that mirrors PDF officer promotion competitions. The military authorities have further advised that additional delays occurred as, given the nature of Reserve service and candidate availability, allied with the substantial number of candidates presenting, the board proceedings were of a longer duration than that which would routinely apply in a PDF context.
The filling of these and other positions continues to be recognised as an essential enabler in the continuing Reserve Revitalisation process.
51. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Defence the type of training provided to staff within her Department in the use of, or understanding of artificial intelligence; if a programme is planned for all staff on their obligations under the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67459/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis month, my Department will launch a new training initiative to coincide with the introduction of Microsoft Copilot. Prior to this training, limited access to AI tools will be granted to those staff with a business requirement for such tools and in compliance with the Department’s AI Policy. This process will be closely monitored by the Learning and Development and ICT teams.
Training will include a number of elements including in-person sessions, e-learning modules, workshops, and tailored programmes by section or role. It will also cover issues of responsible use, bias detection, governance and risk oversight.
52. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Defence the number of vacancies by rank within Defence Forces School of Music; when each of those vacancies will be filled, in tabular form. [67635/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe military authorities have provided the requested details, in the table below, in relation to the number of vacancies currently in the Defence Forces School of Music. Figures are as at 27 November 2025:
|
Rank |
Lt Col |
CQMS |
Sgt |
Cpl |
Pte |
|
Vacancies |
1 |
1 |
9 |
4 |
4 |
Vacancies will be filled in line with DF workforce planning arrangements.
53. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Defence if a new cadetship recruitment campaign for the army will be launched early in the new year. [67636/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2025 Army Cadetship competition was launched in March and closed for applications on the 8th of April. The Defence Forces have advised of their intention to launch the 2026 Cadetship recruitment campaign for the Army in quarter one of 2026.
54. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Defence her views on whether it was necessary for Defence Forces personnel to draw weapons against protesters targeting planes in Shannon owned by a military which provides logistical support to a country that her Government considers guilty of genocide (details supplied). [67999/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that it would not be appropriate for me to comment on operational and security matters in this particular instance.
55. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Defence the existing direct entry, lateral entry and re-entry mechanisms for recruitment to the Permanent Defence Force and the Reserve Defence Force; the number of personnel recruited under these mechanisms in 2025; if she intends creating additional entry pathways; the timeline for delivery of each pathway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68025/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Permanent Defence Force recruit through a combination of general service recruitment, officer cadets, and direct entry specialists. Challenges exist in recruiting and retaining certain specialists due to competing demands for such specialists in other sectors in the current buoyant economy.
In addition to traditional recruitment, several measures have been introduced aimed at restoring and retaining capacity and boosting specialist numbers. These include an ongoing scheme which permits former personnel with specialist skills to re-enter the Permanent Defence Force. In 2025, as of the 31 October, this has resulted in 27 re-enlistments (25 Army and 2 Naval Service) and 2 Army Officers being recommissioned.
Direct Entry is utilised in the recruitment of specialists. In 2025 as of the 31 October, this has resulted in 34 inductions consisting of 1 Defence Force School of Music Conductor, 1 Defence Force Medical Officer, 4 Naval Service Electrical Engineering Officers, 1 Naval Service Marine Engineering Officers, 2 Naval Service Operations Branch Officers, 2 Direct Entry Nurses, 3 Direct Entry Grooms for Equitation School, 8 Air Corps Aircraft Maintenance Technicians, 2 Naval Service Direct Entry Electrical Artificer, 1 Naval Service Direct Entry Hull Artificer, 3 Naval Service Direct Entry Radio/Radar Technicians and 6 Naval Service Direct Entry Engine Room Artificers.
All elements of the recruitment process, including the potential for new recruitment pathways and competitions, remain under ongoing review by the Defence Forces.
It has not been possible to provide the requested information as pertaining to the Reserve Defence Force within the time frame available. I will respond to the Deputy when the information is to hand.
56. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Transport whether his Department has engaged with the National Transport Authority to explore the provision of a Local Link or BusConnects service connecting Celbridge and Naas General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67282/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for Rural Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to rural public transport service provision; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally. In light of the NTA responsibilities I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
57. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Transport whether his Department has assessed the impact of the lack of a direct public transport link between Celbridge and Naas General Hospital on older persons, people with disabilities, and those without private transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67283/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister of State at the Department of Transport , I have special responsibility for Rural Transport,
Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for promoting the development of integrated, accessible public transport networks and infrastructure. The NTA works with the relevant public transport operators and state agencies, who have responsibility for both day to day operational issues and the built environment, to progressively make public transport more accessible for everyone.
In light of the NTA's responsibilities for accessible public transport, including in County Kildare, I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
58. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Transport his plans to ensure that future public transport strategies provide adequate connections between north Kildare towns, including Celbridge, and regional healthcare facilities such as Naas General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67284/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure across Ireland.
In regards to transport strategies, a revised statutory Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2022-2042 was developed by the NTA, in consultation with the relevant Local Authorities, and published in 2023 following the Minister for Transport’s approval. This strategy sets out how transport will be developed across the region, covering Dublin, Meath, Wicklow and Kildare. The Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy is due for review in 2028. Once sufficiently developed the draft Transport Strategy will be opened to full public consultation.
Connecting Ireland is the NTA’s public transport plan designed to increase travel connectivity across rural Ireland. It aims to provide better connections between villages and towns by linking these with an enhanced public transport network, which also connects to cities and regional centres nationwide.
Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
59. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Transport the actions he will take to address accusations of price inflation by Irish airlines in relation to flights to the destinations of the Irish national football team games in 2025 and 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67287/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder European Union Regulation 1008/2008 on common rules for the operation of air services in the Community, airlines have full pricing freedom in relation to setting air fares for intra-Community air services and other related services such as baggage.
The Regulation requires that air fares be transparent i.e. that passengers booking a flight must be aware of the final price of a flight including any supplemental elements selected by the passenger, at all times during the booking process.
Within this framework airlines regularly take into account various operational realities in setting these fares and charges over time, for example flights at peak times or with short advance bookings may attract higher prices which is an industry norm.
60. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Transport the plans for any new driving test centres and NCT centres in Dublin; t the planning permission requirements for same; and the consultation that occurs with local communities before a driving test or NCT centre opens in an area. [67308/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service, including the provision of driving test centres and National Car Test Service (NCTS) centres. Neither I nor my officials are involved in the service at an operational level.
Given the RSA's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the RSA for direct response. Please contact my office if a reply is not received within ten days.
Pending this more detailed response, I am informed by the RSA that it intends to open a new driver test centre in Sandyford in the near future. While not yet operational, the assigned testers are already deployed to nearby centres in readiness for its opening ensuring testing volumes continue to be managed effectively.
Additionally, I understand that each National Car Test Centre shall be located within 50 kilometres of 90 per cent of the owners for whom it is the nearest National Car Test Centre, taking account of existing travel patterns and reasonable journey times. The NCTS currently meets this standard. Finally, the NCT contract will be due for renewal in 2030 and the location and number of NCT Test Centres will be reviewed by the RSA as part of preparing for the optimal delivery of the service beyond this date.
61. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Transport the number of bus shelters installed by the National Transport Authority in Dublin, each year since 2018, and including the latest figures to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67309/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including the provision of bus stops/shelters nationally.
There is commitment under the Programme for Government to ensure that public transport operators provide safe and accessible access for all passengers and a commitment to work with local authorities and national bodies to improve public transport options and infrastructure.
Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.
