I thank the Deputy. As she will be aware, I, as the Minister of State at the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Employment with responsibility for small business and retail, have responsibility for ensuring that emissions in the commercial built environment are reduced in line with climate action targets. Achieving these targets will mean that many owners of commercial properties will have to carry out energy upgrade works to their buildings. Such works can include installing smart meters and replacing gas and oi…

A key priority for the Government within our competitiveness plan is to engage with the Department of energy, climate and environment to ensure we can drive down the cost of energy, not just for residential consumers, but for businesses to ensure they remain viable. It is probably one of the most important areas we can focus on and currently are focused on. We are providing grants to small businesses around emissions and ensuring that they have access to grants to support their transition to more carbon-efficient a…

The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is working with the SEAI to try to streamline the grant applications, not just for businesses, but for homes under the warmer homes scheme. Where businesses or customers successfully make an application to get onto the scheme, the scheme takes into consideration the likelihood of trying to procure a contractor. That extends out the timeline so, in effect, the timeline could be 18 months before an actual contractor is available to do it. However, I think the SEAI should measure when the…

I thank all the Deputies for their contributions today. It is an honour to stand before the House on International Workers' Day, a day dedicated to recognising the invaluable contribution of workers across Ireland and the world. As Minister of State with responsibility for small business and retail, I acknowledge and celebrate the hard work, dedication and resilience of our workforce, which forms the backbone of our economy and society and is the core of Ireland's competitiveness. Ireland's stable industrial relati…

I thank the Deputy for her question. Ireland has attracted the best data centres and tech companies in the world. This is a really important relationship and the Government continues to work with the sector towards a secure and decarbonised energy future. However, data centres, like all large energy users, have to exist within the boundaries of our climate legislation and targets. The programme for Government addresses the challenges regarding the sustainability of data centres by committing to allowing data centre…

There has been a commonality in People Before Profit to demonise data centres. I just saw the Deputy using her phone. Phones are central to everything data centres present around AI and online storage. They are critical to the infrastructure of a modern economy in Ireland. We will continue to deliver a balanced approach to facilitate additional demand for energy by data centres. The Government has outlined clear principles for sustainable data centre development. In July 2022, we published the Government Statement …

To address the Deputy's first point, AI is the technology of the future. To say it has no relevance to us trying to reach our climate targets-----

It presents a real opportunity to unlock, produce and consume electricity more efficiently. I have no doubt there is significant opportunity in Ireland, with a lot of tech companies using AI and with their data centres, for us to enhance our competitiveness. We can also reduce our emissions. It is the technology of the future. We have set out the principles within Government that new data centre grid connections will be considered by system operators on a case-by-case basis. The Commission for Regulation of Utiliti…

I thank the Deputy for the question. The programme for Government acknowledges the increased energy cost pressures on households and businesses, and aims to bring forward a number of measures to help contain energy costs. These include ard taxation measures to help contain energy costs. We have established a cross-government energy affordability task force to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses. We will also carry out a review of the regulator…

I thank the Deputy. I disagree with his comment that data centres create only a few jobs. The role that data centres play in the economy is significant for large tech and foreign direct investment, FDI. We will continue to support our commitment to working with key stakeholders in that area, including the IDA, to identify and support new approaches. That is important. We need to integrate large-scale demand and sustainability into our energy system but we also need to strike a balance. New data centre grid connecti…

The Deputy needs to consider that the tech investment going into these data centres and the AI revolution is leading the way around renewable energy solutions.

Ireland needs to be to the fore in this regard. We all know that AI will unlock opportunities to produce solutions-----

-----to energy and efficiency measures. We are certainly committed and have said that we will ensure we have clear principles for sustained data centre development. We published our statement on the role of data centres in Ireland's enterprise strategy. We want clearer guidance for decision makers in the planning process. We also want to encourage the data centre sector to implement decarbonised energy solutions that not just increase efficiency but also decarbonise by design. That is important. It is our preferenc…

The regulation of textiles has become a priority focus for the EU in recent years. There are two significant pieces of relevant legislation in development or recently implemented. First, since 1 January 2025, the waste framework directive requires all member states to have a separate collection system for textiles. Ireland's system consists of a network of local authority and charity bring banks, charity retail shops and private bring banks. Some retailers also operate take-back schemes in their stores. This system…

I acknowledge the Deputy’s work with Liberty Recycling. Since January of this year, Ireland has understood and tried to transpose the EU law that is required by every member state. We have a system in place for the separation and collection of textiles, and the bring banks are a significant part of that. I understand that significant improvements are required. I am aware of this due to working with local authorities and charity organisations, which report that used textile collection is under much strain due to adv…

As I said in my earlier contribution, we have drafted the national policy statement and roadmap for circular textiles, which will be important in supporting the transition. That will soon go out to consultation. On the Deputy’s point, we have a real challenge around fast fashion and how we address it. The current system needs to be enhanced. We need to continue to work with local authorities and charities but we must also be mindful of extended producer responsibility. We will be working with key stakeholders to tr…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister for arts, Deputy O'Donovan. Having worked with the Deputy on the tourism and arts committee for five years during the previous Dáil term, I know how important this issue is and what a champion Deputy Byrne is for the arts and cultural sector. What he has raised today is significant and recognises the efforts we all need to take within government to champion the arts and those who work in them but also to implement new ini…

I again thank the Deputy for raising this important Topical Issue matter this evening. I will certainly relay his comments to the Minister. I am encouraged by what the Deputy said about the importance of the youth culture card. Every organisation providing a range of programmes, events and resources for young people, including both in-person and online events, needs to be supported. There is an ambitious programme in the Department investing in the audiovisual sector to grow the sector, with new opportunities for y…

I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach and wish her luck in her new role chairing the Dáil. I thank all the Deputies for their engagement in today's debate. The interventions we heard reflect not only the gravity of the current situation, but also the breadth of concerns across the Dáil for our economy, our trading relationships and Ireland's place in a changing world. We are all experiencing and getting to grips with a fundamental change in how the world's largest economy has decided, at least for now, to conduct its…

I did not interrupt the Deputy.