First, our retrofit schemes are the most effective mechanism. We have immediate measures such as the fuel allowance, but the best way of tackling fuel poverty is to deal with the problem at source and to improve the building fabric so that people do not have to spend money, especially on wasteful or inefficient fossil fuel heating systems. Our strategy in that regard is very clearly towards a socially progressive approach. The largest share of the funding we get from carbon tax goes to the warmer homes scheme, whic…

Over a relatively short period of time, this Government has completely reimagined and implemented a new policy, legislative and regulatory system to deliver on our commitment to offshore renewable energy. Our plan-led approach to delivering our offshore wind targets includes a number of overlapping phases. Over 3 GW of capacity has been procured in our first offshore wind auction from phase 1 offshore wind projects, which will deliver over 12 TWh of renewable electricity per year. Three of the phase 1 projects have…

I have been at a series of international meetings recently on the issue: in Bilbao, the European offshore wind energy conference; in Bruges, where we had a meeting of the north-west energy ministers on the subject; and in Dublin last week with our Scottish colleagues. In all three locations, I sensed broad consensus from industry, regulators and international experts that Ireland is now well placed. Our phase 1 projects have gone through the auction system and two other projects are progressing which were not succe…

We will. We want to see our ports developing as one of the benefits from offshore wind. I expect the likes of Shannon Foynes Port to be centrally involved in the development of that first project on the west coast. I expect the Port of Cork to develop and deliver the project it has planning permission for, which is the development of a 200 m berth of 11 m or so depth, an extension of the port in Ringaskiddy to be used as a deployment port for renewables and as a future expansion of the port as we move out from city…

The roadmap for achieving a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 is outlined and developed in successive annual climate action plans which set out detailed strategies for delivery across multiple sectors. Our ambitious 2030 target is underpinned by legally binding carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings established under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. The Climate Action Plan 2024 outlines a range of measures across key sectors to drive emissions reductions. I…

The heavy lifting has to be done in the renewable sector. I refer to the debate I had earlier with Deputy O'Rourke regarding the delivery of the likes of offshore wind and the solar revolution that is taking place. If we can meet our targets in this area, with some 22 GW of power from renewables by the end of this decade, that would bridge half of the gap. That is the most significant first fundamental measure. The delivery of those offshore renewable projects in particular will give us a scale of power that will a…

The EPA is in a difficult position. For some of the policy measures we are planning, as I said, it needed to see back-up, financial commitment or other Government measures so that they would be seen as deliverable. Anaerobic digestion is one example of an area that was not easy to model or expect to deliver, but we will deliver it. It is one of the ways people can actually diversify incomes in agriculture. The amount of imported fossil fuel gas and emissions that come from it can be reduced. While we are in a very …

A thriving community renewable energy sector is a key pillar of the Government's climate action and renewable energy strategy. The first two RESS auctions provided pathways and supports for communities to participate in renewable energy projects. Seven community projects were successful in the RESS 1 auction, of which three are now energised. These community projects have been enabled by the RESS scheme and have now entered into private arrangements for selling their renewable energy. Ten community projects were su…

It should always be efficiency first. That is the first fuel, first saving, first and most important priority. I agree with the Deputy's basic point. We have not delivered at the scale and speed that I would like in the context of community-owned generation of renewable power. One of the advantages of renewable power is that it should allow for a more distributed, broadly owned energy sector. I do not have the exact figures for the projects that have been energised but I will get them and share them with the Deputy…

I agree with the Deputy. I will look at the model. I am very open to looking at different models. We should continue to evolve this because there is real benefit in terms of wider community ownership and engagement. The International Energy Agency, IEA, country review, which was noted by the Government this week, recognised that there are many community benefits and gain from our existing offshore and onshore schemes. It is not as if we do not have community gain. There is a revolution taking place at the household…

In March 2023, I published statutory guidelines to assist local authorities in preparing their local authority climate action plans. Those guidelines include a requirement for ongoing monitoring and progress reporting. Each local authority must provide reporting arrangements which demonstrate accountability for the delivery of actions at various levels, including: reporting within the local authority to elected members, strategic policy committees or other forums; reporting at a sectoral level to aggregate towards …

I was very pleased that every one of the 31 local authorities and their councillors approved their local climate action plans in the timeframe we requested, namely by March. We have to be up front and honest that the level of engagement varies between counties but there was a very real effort to make sure that happened. I agree with the Deputy. We need to go forward and really focus on the implementation phase in the decarbonising zones but also in monitoring and measuring. We will make sure that we do deliver thos…

It needs both. We in central government must be centrally involved. But I might give a couple of examples where it also requires local authority leadership. Take the whole transport area, to return to a question from Deputy Gannon. I was making the case that to meet our climate targets we will have to reduce the volume of traffic and that requires demand-management measures which can only be taken at a local level.

We have the Department of Transport, an arm of central government, saying that it will close one road and open another. It needs local leadership. A second example of where we have a real issue is that a number of county councils in response to public concerns have basically frozen out the potential development of renewable power in their various development plans. Our ability to meet our renewables targets, which will cover half of the emissions reductions we have to see this decade, has been stymied in many insta…

I thank Deputy Stanton. An Post is a commercial State body with a mandate to act commercially. It has statutory responsibility for the State's postal service and the post office network. The Government is committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network, as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure throughout Ireland. In line with this commitment, my Department is providing €10 million funding per annum over a three-year fixed term from 2023 to 2025 to An Post. This funding is being disbur…

Coincidentally, I was only talking to one of my team earlier and we were raising a similar issue. My understanding is that the delivery of publicity post or direct mail cannot or does not operate within electoral boundaries in many instances. We were asking ourselves the question as to why that is the case because when it comes to An Coimisiún Toghcháin communications, it can. I agreed earlier on this morning that I was going to write to the CEO of An Post to ask that very question. Why is it that the boundaries th…

We have to work very closely with the company to help them towards a prosperous future.

First, direct mail is a very good, profitable and important business for An Post and a very good marketing mechanism. Therefore, I agree with the Deputy. That should be an area in which we hopefully will see further expansion. Regarding the route networks, I do not think they go back to the stagecoach but I remember from when we were establishing the Eircode system that this network is based around the postal delivery going back to where the local post person is working. That is a core part of An Post's business. H…

-----An Post's parcel business is very successful. It is very active, very competitive and one of the largest, if not the largest, players in that market. The company is expanding that business quite successfully and quite rapidly. The challenge for the company is how it can manage that at scale as well as other diverse income streams to cope with the natural decline in its former core business, as is happening right across Europe. An Post is now a very serious large player in the parcel delivery business and I am …

The EU Just Transition Fund is a new fund created under the 2021-27 EU budget period, operating within the framework of the EU cohesion policy. The fund’s single specific objective is to support the regions in the European Union that are most negatively affected by the transition to climate neutrality. In essence, the fund aims to address employment, economic, social and environmental impacts that come with the shift away from carbon-intense activities and to prioritise this support to the most affected regions of …