I thank the Deputy for her comments. I am glad to hear she acknowledges that we need data centres. I heard the same from Sinn Féin when Senator Boylan said that we absolutely need data centres. There is an understanding that we are not just going to shut down all of the data centres or prevent them from being here. The Deputy's question is on the quantity of data centres which we can have or which is appropriate for the size of our country. Clearly, we are specialising in this country in the pharmaceutical and tech…

I compliment Deputy Ó Murchú on doggedly pursuing this issue on a number of occasions in the House and outside it. Progress is being made. Generally, schemes such as those at Carlinn Hall are localised, involving apartment complexes or residential housing estates. In the Government's plans for district heating, based on international best practice, we are focusing on larger-scale projects, supplying heat to a range of buildings that can include public, commercial and residential across an entire district, for examp…

A community heat system such as this provides heating and hot water for an entire development, typically an apartment block or an apartment complex. It means there is one component to be switched out so that all of those apartments can be decarbonised. The reality is that this is a great opportunity. It is much easier to switch out one large heating system than to go into 100 boilers where every apartment has its own heating system. I feel it should be targeted. I have not yet seen the draft of the SEAI report and …

The SEAI has a history of supporting community grant schemes. It has good outreach operations. It has been a successful and popular programme. It is more efficient than the administration involved in individual grant schemes. There is the administration of one large scheme. There is a large benefit for it. It contributes to a community getting switched over with buy-in from many people at the same time. This type of scheme is very welcome. Anything we can do to push community energy, and move away from renewable en…

To ensure that Ireland's future economic development is on a sustainable footing we have taken a number of ambitious measures, including the adoption of the 2021 Climate Act, carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings. The ceilings and budgets underpin Ireland's ambitious commitments to tackle climate breakdown, while also increasing our energy security, and putting us in a strong position to introduce net zero agriculture and business models. This provides us with excellent opportunities to encourage and incen…

I thank Deputy Durkan. The core point is that Ireland is reducing its emissions at the same time as it is growing its economy. We are not the only country to do this. Britain went through approximately a decade when it was reducing emissions while at the same time growing its economy. I am not sure if that is still the case, but it is certainly possible. We should never assume that in order to improve the environment or cut emissions, we have to do economic damage in some way or reduce growth. Our economy is succee…

I thank Deputies for their contributions. This Bill, as we know, is technical in nature and provides for the integration of Ervia into Gas Networks Ireland, GNI, so that it can become a single entity called Gas Networks Ireland. The Bill provides for amendments to the Gas Acts so as to facilitate integration and the transfer of functions, assets, rights, liabilities, staff and records from Ervia to GNI, as well as providing for the corporate governance arrangements relating to GNI in terms of shareholding arrangeme…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Environment and Climate Action pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)( a ) and 181(1).

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to address the House on the Second Stage of the Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023. As Deputies are aware, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications is the Minister with responsibility for gas policy and all legislation relating to gas and energy policy. The European natural gas directive - directive 2009/73/EC on common rules for the internal markets in renewable and natural gases and in hydrogen – in relation to the unbundling of ownership …

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to address the House on the Second Stage of the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023. As Deputies are aware, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 led to exceptionally high energy prices. Although wholesale prices have reduced in recent months, they are still significantly above their long-term average and household gas and electricity bills are still nearly double what they were two years ago. The Gov…

I thank Deputies for their contributions today. I particularly thank all the parties, comprising virtually every party, and many Independents who have welcomed the Bill. The Bill is to be welcomed because it is to recoup excess income that was received by these energy-generating companies as a result of the war in Ukraine. There is significant financial pressure on households and businesses as a result of continued high energy prices. The Government is aware of this and, as previously stated, has introduced a range…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Environment and Climate Action pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)( a ) and 181(1).

I ran for election first in 2014 in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and one of the issues on which I ran was that there were 100 vacant properties along the main street and in the town of Dún Laoghaire. I looked into this problem and later on I became the chair of the corporate policy group in the council and I was able to effect the budget. What we found was that people were making a strategic decision to leave property empty. There were some commercial property owners, sometimes institutions, which decided that if they di…

The text of Senator Boylan's amendment refers to a report "within two months of the passage of this Act", rather than two weeks, so I want to clarify that this is what is intended by the Senator. I thank the Senator for the amendment. I appreciate that Senators are seeking transparency on the distribution of proceeds collected from the temporary solidarity contribution, TSC. Article 17 of the Council regulation sets out five purposes, any of which can direct the use of proceeds from the TSC. The regulation also sta…

How the money is spent will have to be decided in the budget, and the budget is in October. The amendment calls for a report to be published two months after the enactment, which would be September. In other words, the amendment calls for a report saying how the money will be spent from the TSC a month before it is decided in the budget in October. That is the problem I have with the amendment. How the money is spent is a decision for the budget, which I cannot pre-empt. It also has to be in line with Article 17 of…

The national broadband plan is the largest capital project in the State. I have the honour of being responsible for delivering it. We are connecting or passing approximately 8,000 homes per month at the moment. Half of all homes, businesses and farms in rural Ireland will have gigabit internet available by next year. The project is moving at speed. I will bring the House up to date about what is happening in County Roscommon and so on. The State intervention element of the national broadband plan is being delivered…

High-speed broadband has become a basic utility, like having water or electricity. I am told by estate agents that it is the number one feature for selling a house in rural Ireland. It is critical to any business. I understand that. This is a seven year roll-out plan. It started in 2020 and will be complete at the end of 2026. I can imagine the disappointment of people whose premises is scheduled to be connected in 2026 but that is the rate at which it is being delivered. It will be delivered on time and within bud…

I am here on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, who has delegated authority over postal policy in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. Under section 46 of the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, approves any superannuation schemes submitted by An Post. The operation of the schemes …

Senator Craughwell will appreciate this is a complex matter. There are a lot of legal issues here and it is important I put the exact official position on the record. I am sorry if I could not address points he raised in his opening remarks. He raised very detailed and specific points which I will take to the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, for him to reply directly.

At the outset, it is important to point out that the setting of official interest rates throughout the eurozone is a matter for the European Central Bank, ECB. The ECB recently announced a further 0.25% increase in interest rates, bringing its main lending rate to 4%. The Government has no role in setting official interest rates, nor in setting the retail interest rates that lenders may charge on their loans, including mortgages. The rates charged are a commercial matter for individual lenders and these are usually…