I could not agree more. This certainly is the most ambitious energy infrastructure programme we have seen in decades. It is akin to the rural electrification scheme. It will certainly put Ireland in a strong position in terms of our competitiveness. It is also required because industry leaders are looking for certainty and security of supply. We also need to build resilience into our network. I am delighted to see that the private wires Bill has been approved for drafting this week. That will unlock much needed pri…

I thank the Deputy for his question and interest in this area. As matters stand, there are no official statistics confirming the number of rPET pellets produced or utilised in the State or the amount exported from the State. While statistics for the recycling of plastic packaging waste are reported to Eurostat by the EPA on an annual basis, the EU’s list of waste codes does not isolate individual polymers and, therefore, it is not possible to establish how much of this PET material is in existence. This is a shortc…

I reassure the Deputy that Re-Turn has collected over 12,000 tonnes of this PET plastic, 34% of which, as I said earlier, is purchased by Irish companies. Separately, we have Repak, which funds the recycling of over 8,300 tonnes of plastic, 42% of which is reprocessed in Ireland. Is it enough? We need to do more and that is widely acknowledged. Certainly, with the introduction of the DRS, we have made a significant step forward with regard to fully recognising the stream of product that we have as a result of havin…

To be clear, the plastic that is recycled is traded on the open market by Re-Turn. The State is constrained in intervening by EU state aid rules. That is why we comply through the EU waste framework, ensuring there is a regulatory environment to support Irish recyclers. All operators in Ireland can play a role in that . It is a complex challenge and we want to continue to provide support. With the supply chain we now have through PET plastic, we can continue to work with the industry on how we can support companies…

I thank the Deputy for the question and for his interest in this important area. 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. The scheme is operated through the SEAI on behalf of the Department and is funded through the carbon tax receipts and the European Regional Development Fund. The scheme seeks to reduce the volume of energy a household needs by reducing heat loss through the installation of insu…

I completely agree. The first principle of the SEAI warmer homes retrofit scheme is all about reducing bills, improving comfort for householders and ensuring that the vulnerable are part of and very much protected within Ireland's renewable energy transition. We have made significant progress on budgets. We increased the latest budget to record levels with over €230 million now under the warmer homes scheme. That has delivered 7,743 free upgrades. If we look at where we have come from, the average cost per househol…

I appreciate the points raised by the Deputy and I will take them back to the Minister and the SEAI. The replacement of oil and gas boilers has been a challenge in that EU laws prohibit us to incentivise fossil fuel boilers from 2025. New boilers cannot be installed or supported through grant schemes. Replacement parts can be supported through local authorities for sure but the scheme itself is constricted on the basis of the fabric first principle, which relates to insulation, ventilation and then more complex tec…

The Government has taken steps with immediate and medium-term impact to improve the resilience of critical energy networks. In February 2025, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, asked ESB Networks to prepare a winter resilience plan to enhance the grid in the most vulnerable locations following Storm Éowyn. That plan was updated in October. Core work undertaken includes remedial work to the network; work with Coillte and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to identify segments of the network that are at th…

I thank the Deputy for raising her concerns on behalf of her constituents in Connemara. That is why we published PR6 this week, which is one of the largest investments in the history of the State. More than 500 capital projects will be delivered as part of the programme and, as I said earlier, we are placing resilience at the centre of this policy to ensure we can deal with energy emergencies and severe weather events. That is why we established the national emergency co-ordination group, chaired by the Department …

We hear the Deputy loud and clear on this side of the House. I acknowledge the tremendous work of all the operators and workers within ESB Networks who have gone above and beyond. We saw that during Storm Éowyn when they reassured us that they were working day and night to get supply back to many households. That is why the Government has responded. We have allocated over €1.5 billion to ESB Networks. That was approved through the national development plan and legislated for last month. That will, in one sense, low…

CBAM is an instrument implemented by the European Union to address the risk of carbon leakage. The EU's ambition is to become climate neutral by 2050. CBAM will aim to ensure that imported goods are subject to a carbon price equivalent to the carbon price of domestic production in the EU. CBAM affects the electricity sector by putting a price on emissions associated with electricity produced in countries outside the EU and imported into the EU. It aims to encourage sustainable practices and reduce carbon footprint.…

They are two different topics but I will answer the first one.

Yes. I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

On the first question, it is not accurate at this time to talk about increased energy prices. CBAM is still in a transitional phase. We are working very closely with the European Commission on adopting a simplification package - this arose in October - to clarify how we will be reporting and how carbon prices will be aligned. Until the Act is implemented or finalised early next year, any cost estimates would be speculative and misleading. We have a number of engagements with the European Commission. It is working v…

With regard to the Government's commitment, in recent weeks we have seen huge announcements about investment in our electricity and energy system. It is unprecedented and akin to rural electrification. Over €18.6 billion is being invested to reinforce our grid through a number of capital projects. Over 500 capital projects will be delivered right across the country. We are very much focused on ensuring we can connect the over 300,000 new homes that we have committed to out to 2030, and on continuing to support ente…

I thank all the Senators for their very insightful and important contributions to this debate. I congratulate Senator Cosgrove on the introduction of her first Bill to the Seanad, Senator Harmon on seconding it, all the Bill sponsors and those groupings who have supported this. I have no doubt significant effort, time and consideration went into the drafting of the Bill. We acknowledge that. This is an important issue. The subject of pay entitlements for young people, apprentices and those working as interns is rea…

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that: — the provision of an effective Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) service is critical to Ireland as an island nation with a strong maritime sector, and the sector depends on the reliability and professionalism of the Irish Coast Guard and all its component parts, including Coast Guard helicopter crews; and — the aviation service contract allows the Coast Guard to meet its obligations as prescribed in the Natio…

I join the Acting Chairman in wishing Kilmeena GAA club the very best of luck in the county final. I also acknowledge the tremendous Relay for Life team and committee. It is an outstanding organisation that has done Trojan work in terms of funding and continues to go above and beyond. In response to Senator Collins, I thank her for her amendments. We certainly appreciate the wide support for this important legislation which is very much focused on the largest and most significant investment in our grid infrastructu…

I will take amendments Nos. 2 to 6, inclusive, and respond to the Senators on their proposed amendments. On amendment No. 2, I thank Senator Higgins for her suggested addition. Amendment No. 2 relates to inserting a new subsection providing that money borrowed by ESB shall not be used for energy infrastructure related to data centres. As outlined to Senator Collins, the draft decision under PR6, which I am sure many Senators have read the detail of, takes account of Government targets across many sectors and clearl…

I thank the Deputy. Over the last number of years, my officials, in collaboration with officials in the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, have been working strenuously to deliver a more efficient and streamlined employment permit and visa system. A key element of this is the implementation of a single application procedure for both employment permits and immigration permissions, in line with the single permit directive. It is expected that this will reduce the complexity of the current system, ensu…