Written Answers Nos. 133-141
134. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department has ever engaged with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding potential changes to planning laws to make the provision of solar canopies mandatory when planning permission is being granted for large outdoor carparks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47160/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAny planning applications for development proposals, including large outdoor carparks, will be subject to detailed assessment by the relevant Planning Authority (i.e. local Planning Authority or An Coimisiún Pleanála) and are subject to all relevant existing planning and environmental legislation, regulations and policy frameworks. Any amendments to existing planning policy and legislation in relation to large outdoor carparks, is a matter for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
135. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will comment on his plans for decarbonising zones in 41 local authority areas nationally. [47195/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra136. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he plans to fund local authorities to support decarbonising zones as a core pillar of local authority climate action strategies. [47196/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra137. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to confirm the funding that has been allocated to local authorities to develop decarbonising zones since they were first proposed by Government. [47197/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 135, 136 and 137 together.
In 2022, my Department approved funding for local authorities to develop and implement their Local Authority Climate Action Plans (LA CAPs) over three phases. Since 2022, almost €19m has been paid to local authorities to deliver their LA CAPs, and annual funding of €5.8m will continue until the end of 2028.
Statutory LA CAP Guidance issued to all local authorities in March 2023 and required each local authority to select a Decarbonising Zone (DZ) in its local climate plan, with specific DZ guidance provided, to be adopted by the elected members. There are 41 Decarbonising Zones across the country, each with related DZ actions or a Register of Opportunities per local authority.
My Department has established a new fund of €1.8m in 2026 to assist local authorities with their DZs - the DZ Demonstrator Fund. The fund provides all local authorities with specific, ringfenced funding to advance projects within their DZs. The fund is now live and all Chief Executives were notified of this on 12 June last and provided the Fund Specifications.
In addition, a new €2.5m European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) DZ Scheme has been set up for the eligible nine local authorities in the northern and western region. My Department is committing €1m of this funding. 17 DZ projects have been selected through an evaluation process and all counties have at least one successful project. Projects will support the two selected ERDF action areas: Climate adaptation and disaster risk and resilience; and the Protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity, and green infrastructure. All local authorities in the region have been notified of the outcome.
A call recently opened under the EU Just Transition Fund: START (Supporting a Sustainable Transition through Climate Action for a Resilient Territory Scheme). Local authorities across the eight eligible counties of the Wider Midlands Region can apply for funding for capital projects and feasibility studies, with a total fund value of €30m. Funding can be used county wide (or parts of counties in Tipperary, Kildare and Galway) including to advance projects in DZs.
My Department funds the four Climate Action Regional Offices (CAROs) which were set up to support local authorities to coordinate and deliver climate action and to develop their LA CAPs and DZs. Since 2018, the CAROs have been allocated €2m per annum and this increased to €2.4m in 2026. My Department also provides €500,000 in annual funding to the Local Authority Climate Action Training Programme which includes specific training to support local authorities with their LA CAPs and DZs.
My Department also facilitates an inter-departmental and inter-agency DZ Advisory Group, in collaboration with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), to assist local authorities with their DZs at the national level. It was also successful in securing funding for an ESPON Targeted Analysis project (ITADZ) to assess the DZ policy impact.
138. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to confirm if alternative funding has been arranged for the STEM engagement officer and the STEM programme, in County Laois; the positive contribution made by this role; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47370/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe EU Just Transition Fund (JTF) aims to address the employment, economic, social and environmental impacts that come with the shift away from carbon-intense activities. In Ireland, the EU JTF is focused on the wider Midlands region which has been impacted by the move away from peat production and electricity generation from peat.
The Programme represents a total commitment of €169m to the just transition process in the territory, incorporating €84.5 million from the EU Just Transition Fund for 2021 – 2027 and national co-financing of €84.5m.
Ireland’s EU JTF Programme is across four strategic investment priorities and eight actions. One of the actions (Action 1.2) is the Local Regional Economic Strategies Support Scheme (LRESSS), administered by Pobal, which has supported sustainability-focused projects to support locally-led economic development in the territory. The LRESSS commenced in 2024.
Under LRESSS, Laois County Council submitted an application for funding to implement the ‘Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan Pathway for Just Transition’ under their Regional Enterprise Plans on behalf of four local authorities (Laois, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath). An element of the plan was recruiting Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) engagement officers in each local authority. This application was approved by my Department on foot of recommended applications for funding from Pobal and was allocated €3.992m in line with the funding requested.
Laois County Council requested that the project completion period be extended from March to September 2026 which my Department approved. The work of the STEM officers completed in advance of the school summer break and the overall project will conclude in September in line with the new agreed programme timeline for EU JTF Action 1.2.
The seeking of additional funding to continue these posts is a matter for the local authority concerned which would be expected to engage with the relevant policy Departments in relation to longer term funding.
139. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to confirm that those who apply for the new SEAI windows and doors grant scheme will be issued with clear and concise information upon receipt of an approval letter for the scheme, in particular setting out in detail in the approval letter if any additional measures are required to be undertaken by the applicant including attic and wall insulation works in order to qualify for the scheme and proceed successfully with the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47377/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department funds a number of grant schemes, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), to support homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their properties. Following Government approval in January, I published a new National Residential Retrofit Plan (NRRP) with an enhanced set of measures to increase delivery of home energy upgrades.
The new measures, which include higher attic and cavity wall insulation grants as well as new windows and doors grants, are generating increased interest amongst homeowners in home energy upgrades, with the SEAI reporting a more than two-fold increase in applications in the first 5-months of this year compared to the same period in 2025.
In the context of meeting the increased appetite of homeowners who want to upgrade their homes, the SEAI is currently carrying out a detailed review of their customer journeys to simplify, streamline and standardise processes, and are currently developing a customer portal to support user-friendly, simplified and digitalised customer interactions with the SEAI.
Specifically in relation to windows and doors grants, to qualify for the grants, the post-works BER certificate must show the building fabric meeting a specified minimum performance standard. Many homes will already meet this standard. If the home does not meet the standard and needs to upgrade either attic or wall insulation, then grants are available from the SEAI for these measures. More details can be found on the SEAI website at: www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/individual-grants/windows-and-doors.
With regard to homeowner engagement, the SEAI advise it is proactively filtering windows and doors applications and communicating with homeowners early in the process, including sending out a leaflet on the post BER and fabric requirements with letters of offer. In addition, a new online eligibility checker is currently being developed by the SEAI, aimed at providing greater clarity to homeowners ahead of grant offer stage.
The SEAI grant rates and eligibility criteria are kept under review taking account of evolving science, innovation, evolving technology and other relevant factors, making appropriate changes as necessary.
140. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the total landholding of his Department, broken down by county, including the amount currently unused or vacant, the portion zoned for development, and the number of sites that include vacant or derelict properties. [47619/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn my capacity as Minister, I am the registered owner of limited parcels of land throughout the State. These State properties are associated with the functions of my Department, namely, environment, climate and energy. My Department is currently completing an exercise to establish the precise position with regard to this land given recent transfer of functions activities to definitively establish the position in relation to my Department in its current form.
I am advised that as these lands are held for specific functions under my remit, they are not zoned for development, nor do they contain vacant or derelict properties suitable for development.
141. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the level of funding currently allocated to any solar photovoltaic grant or support scheme for medically vulnerable customers; the amount of funding that remains available under such schemes for the remainder of 2026; the number of applications approved to date in 2026; whether individuals who are dependent on medical devices in the home, including continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, are considered medically vulnerable for the purposes of eligibility; the qualifying criteria applied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47845/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe life support category of the Priority Services Register is for households who have a dependence on electrically powered equipment, including medical equipment, life protecting devices and assistive technologies such as dialysis machines and respirators. Individual homeowners should contact their own energy supplier for details on eligibility to register.
This register is maintained by the energy suppliers as required by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. The definition of vulnerable customers is set out in Regulation 2 of Statutory Instrument 463/2011.
The Solar PV for the Medically Vulnerable Scheme is a targeted pilot scheme for providing fully Government funded solar PV panels for customers/households who are on this register. This is because these households may have a higher energy demand than the average user and this scheme is designed to go some way towards helping to reduce those energy costs.
The Solar PV for Medically Vulnerable Scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in conjunction with energy suppliers, with each energy supplier contacting their own eligible customers directly, in line with the work plans for their solar PV installers. Eligible households can avail of a fully funded 2kWp solar PV system, including survey/design, supply, installation, and the post works BER.
The scheme is energy supplier-led, meaning each energy supplier is responsible for contacting their own eligible customers directly. Government, through the SEAI, funds each energy supplier for the installations they provide to their eligible customers.
This year Government has made €11.71 million available for the scheme, targeting 1,907 installations. To end May, energy suppliers have drawn down €1.74 million and 257 households have received an upgrade under the scheme.
It is important to emphasise again that it is the energy suppliers who manage the administrative aspects of the scheme and issue offers to eligible homeowners. Each participating supplier received an allocated amount of funding under their Memorandum of Understanding with the SEAI and it is the energy supplier who contacts eligible households in batches, based on the energy supplier's operational capacity.
I would encourage all households who are eligible to contact their energy supplier to get on the Priority Services Register.
