The Deputy is right in saying that County Clare is not included. In conjunction with the European Commission, it was decided that it would involve counties Offaly, Laois, Longford, Westmeath and Roscommon as well as five additional municipal districts: Ballinasloe in County Galway; Athy and Clane-Maynooth in County Kildare; and Carrick-on-Suir and Thurles in County Tipperary. That is because our application and our approach very much targeted the switch away from extracting peat. Moneypoint is changing and will swi…

I take the Deputy's point about Kilrush. There are other towns across the country where we have particular difficulties. I believe this green energy revolution will benefit such towns. It will not always be the big projects. The Moneypoint development for offshore wind is a really large-scale project and it will take some time. However, there are immediate opportunities. Earlier in discussion with Deputy Gannon, I mentioned that we now have programme projects developing anaerobic digestion. The area around Loop Hea…

I have not yet been consulted by the Taoiseach with regard to fossil fuel advertising. While I would, in principle, support such a ban, advertising standards do not fall within the remit of my Department. However, much has been done to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, which I believe answers the call of Secretary General Guterres. Our Department no longer accepts new applications for exploration licences for natural gas or oil, nor will there be any future licensing rounds. A policy statement on petroleum explo…

I did not have any discussions with the Ceann Comhairle and I would never do so, given he is an independent constitutional officeholder and he decides. He was probably making a correct call in that our Department does not have specific authority for advertising standards. The Deputy makes the case that in previous instances, the Department of Health may have been involved in amending the regulations for tobacco advertising, and I will look at whether a line Department can introduce standards in advertising. I would…

As I said in my initial response, in principle I agree with the Deputy. If our world is burning, as it is, and if people are profiteering from that, the issue is how we can reduce demand or the impacts of advertising from such bodies that are causing damage. I do not disagree in principle, but the exact means for application are something we would have to consider and for which we would have to work out what we will do. It is starting to happen. For example, in the case of many cultural or other institutions, the i…

Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity market is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, an independent regulator accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas and not to me as Minister. The CRU was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the electricity sector following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 and subsequent legislation. The CRU is responsible for, inter alia , the economic regulation of the electricity system operators: ESB Networks, for distri…

I do not have the exact figures but this issue has been subject to debate. I have had extensive meetings with the county councils in counties impacted but also with the North-South Ministerial Council, where the Deputy's Sinn Féin colleagues in Northern Ireland have a critical role. They agree with me that we need this project. It needs to be built and it is vital for both the Northern economy and the wider island. It will save Irish consumers about €100 million a year but will also bring significant security benef…

I do not know what the Deputy's plan B is. My understanding from discussions with Sinn Féin colleagues up North is that they, like me, want to see this project being built. There are real security and costs to the public, North and South, for us not progressing. It is a matter for the CRU, as regulator, to decide on the exact mechanisms, such as the potential use of compulsory purchase orders or any other mechanism, it will adopt and the approach we take. That is the legally correct constitutional approach but I, l…

We are fortunate in this State that our Government operates with Cabinet and with collective responsibility. In neighbouring jurisdictions, such as the UK, people might look back in future decades and say that perhaps too much power was centralised in No. 10 Downing Street. I have nothing against the current Taoiseach but we have not done that. We retained the ability that any member of the Cabinet can say, "No, I have my doubts. I question this". I have been in Cabinet for about eight years in total and have never…

That brings strength, particularly at times like these, when we see significant change in leadership and ministerial roles. I am confident this Government will see out its term because it has a Cabinet that works collectively. My Cabinet colleagues know this; you respect each other, listen to each other and work together. We will dearly miss Deputy Michael McGrath. Three things are noteworthy about Michael in my experience over the years. He first came to public prominence in that difficult time from 2007 to 2010. …

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "acknowledges the Government's comprehensive response to the significant increases in energy prices for households and businesses due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the significant progress being made in ensuring a just transition to renewable energy; recognises that: — across Europe, Vladimir Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine had a severe and immediate impact on energy prices, where wholesale prices reached pea…

I thank the Cathaoirleach for his very kind words. The community energy grant scheme is part of the Government’s national retrofit programme within which there is a total budget of €437.2 million this year that SEAI allocates for residential and community energy upgrade schemes to allow us to meet our climate targets. The community energy grant, CEG, scheme aims to upgrade the building stock and facilities to high standards of energy efficiency and renewable energy use. This helps to reduce fossil fuel use, energy …

I will go back and try to check if the Senator can give me further specific details on the particular application for that sports club. My assessment from the material I am getting is that the community energy grant scheme is delivering. Two large projects have already been completed ahead of when they were expected. By mid-June, we have completed 243 homes and 68 non-domestic projects which are associated with the closing out of contracts from last year and this year. The demand for the scheme remains strong. Four…

I trust that the Ministers of State will be here in due course but I will start with my contribution. First, in discussing migration, it obviously makes sense to look beyond Ireland's borders at the broader picture of what is happening on the Continent as a whole, particularly when we consider that for the majority of applicants arriving in Ireland, this is not their first destination. All across Europe, states are facing the challenges that accompany increasing rates of migration. Our own situation in Ireland is n…

I thank Deputy Ó Murchú for raising this important topic. From the outset, I must clarify that while, as Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding for public transport, neither I nor my officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public transport services nationally rests with the NTA. The NTA works with the public transport operators, which deliver the services and have responsibility …

The Government approved and published the Energy Security in Ireland to 2030 report last November, which concludes that Ireland’s future energy will be secure by moving from a fossil-fuel based energy system to an electricity-led system that maximises our renewable energy demand flexibility and is integrated into Europe’s energy systems. Ireland needs to enhance its resilience in the event of a disruption to the country’s natural gas supplies. The energy security review determines that a disruption to Ireland’s sup…

In saying that we are committing that everything must be compatible with the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Acts, we are saying that this cannot involve expansion of the use of gas. It is the opposite. We must contract. With an organised plan to retreat, we will need some gas for the likes of back-up. We will need some gas-fired generation that will run for very few hours but will be there during periods when the wind or interconnection cannot provide us with capability. Similarly with data centres, we c…

It is true. We have a direct relationship with Bus Éireann and even though these are commercially operated services, I have met Stephen Kent, the chief executive, and the chair on numerous occasions in recent weeks at various events. It is important to keep in touch with what is a real issue, namely, the ability of the company to get drivers and mechanics. We must ensure that we can deliver on that, as well as new bus services and new buses. We must make sure that we have the very best modern fleet. I am very confi…

I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire. As he is aware, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding for public transport, which means that neither I nor my officials are involved in the planning of public transport services, such as those referred to by the Deputy. The statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public transport services rests with the NTA, which works with the public transport operators, for example Bus Éireann in the Douglas area, which deliver the services and have responsibility for day…

I am familiar with the problem. I was in Douglas last Friday, as it happens. The Deputy is right; a large amount of the morning rush-hour traffic is children being driven to school. People see the difference between the summer period when the schools are not open and the winter period. It makes a dramatic difference. If that 20% or 30% of school traffic can be taken out, it frees up the traffic for everyone and is better for the kids and the families. Absolutely, we need to provide better services. As well as the n…