I am acutely aware that there have been increases in certain mortgage rates by some lenders. It is important to point out that mortgage interest rates and, in particular, fixed interest rates have fallen over the past number of years. For example, in December 2014 the average level of fixed interest rate for new lending was 4.11%. That compares with 3.54% in April 2023. In April, mortgage rates in Ireland were among the lowest in the eurozone. Recent Central Bank data indicate that a significant portion of new mort…

I am pleased to address the House and I thank Senators for the opportunity to present this Bill. As they will be aware, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 led to exceptionally high energy prices. The Government is aware of the resulting financial strain on households and businesses in Ireland and has introduced numerous supports for homes and businesses to offset the increase. This includes a €2.4 billion package of supports introduced during 2022 and a package of once-off measures worth €2.5 billion, wh…

The main purpose of the Bill is to provide for the TSC under Council Regulation No. 2022/1854 of 6 October 2022 on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices. This is an important Bill which will provide for a fair collection of surplus revenues from fossil fuel companies that have earned unexpected revenues from the high energy prices resulting from the war in Ukraine. It provides for the Revenue Commissioners to administer, collect and enforce the TSC through surcharge, interest, penalties and offenc…

On behalf of the Government, I extend my sympathies to the family and friends of former Deputy Cott on this occasion. I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of providing safe drinking water in east Cork, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Safe and secure drinking water is an issue of both national and local importance. I appreciate the Deputy’s concerns for the communities in Whitegate, County Cork and the surrounding areas affected by the boil water notice. Th…

I can hear in the Deputy's voice his sincerity and his wish to have this problem resolved. It is a very basic thing to have a clean supply of drinking water. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, acknowledges the patience and co-operation of the residents and businesses in the Whitegate area who have been affected up to now. As I said in my opening remarks, the Minister's concern is to ensure that people's health is protected. The Minister wants to see this notice lifted without any undue delay but, of course, only…

Again, on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, I will answer this. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue on the taking in charge of private housing estates by local authorities. With regard to the specific development in the Deputy's constituency, I have to emphasise that under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage is specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in respect of…

I note the views of the Ceann Comhairle and the Deputy on the meaning of the Act. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has asked me not to refer to the specific development but to speak in generalities. We can manage this case-----

-----by sticking to the generalities of the case. As the Deputy said, there is devolved power in this case. It is a devolved power to take in charge, following a majority vote from the residents of the estate. Second, there is the power to set budgets. Fingal County Council sets its own rates and it has a large rates base, including the airport. It also sets its own property taxes. In doing so, it can decide then how it will spend its money. It is not good to leave an estate unfinished or to leave it in a way which…

I thank Senator Boylan for bringing forward a constructive environmental Bill. I am very happy to see any Senator bring forward constructive suggestions on how to make a better environment. I am going to say, for a start, that the Government shares the objectives of this legislation. I have spoken to my colleagues and we are not going to oppose this Bill for this reason. It is an affront to people who are responsibly and dutifully sorting through their waste in their kitchens to see perfectly good products being de…

I thank Deputy O'Rourke for tabling these amendments. I am opposing these amendments on two grounds, which I will go through. The specified date in this Bill, as referred to under section 2, provides for when the temporary solidarity contribution is to be payable by an energy company and section 8, which provides for when an energy company must make a return to the Revenue Commissioners. The 23 September payment and return date for temporary solidarity contribution was chosen to coincide with the payment of corpora…

I was asked why I ruled certain amendments out of order. As I am sure Deputies are aware, I do not have the power to rule amendments in or out of order. Second, I was asked why the legislation will not apply to wind farms and solar farms. It will apply only to oil refineries and fossil fuel producers. A second item of legislation, to be published before the recess, will apply to excess profits from other generators such as wind farms and solar farms. That legislation will be passed during the autumn, I expect. The …

The provision is not in Article 17 but elsewhere in the regulation, where it is specified that the proceeds’ distribution measures must be "clearly defined, transparent, proportionate, non-discriminatory and verifiable". There are reporting requirements and we are going to follow them as they are. It is important we present this information, but I do not propose to accept the amendment.

Once again, this is existing EU law. It is a regulation and is in force. It requires that the distribution of these funds be verifiable and be transparent. They will be. They will be reported on according to the regulation.

I thank the Deputies for these amendments. This Bill provides for a surcharge to be applied to overdue payments. The surcharges currently provided in this Bill are a 5% surcharge on returns not delivered between three and six months of the specified date, and a 10% surcharge on returns delivered within six months of the specified date. These surcharge percentages and timeframes are considered appropriate. They are also considered to be legally robust, given the timeframe between the possible commencement of this le…

This is a levy that we are introducing on unfair profits. These are super-excess profits that were earned by energy companies during the period of a war. We are levying them at 75% of the excess profits and we expect to collect that levy. I fully trust that the Revenue will be capable of collecting this money, as it has certainly proven itself capable. It is a very large bill. The companies from which the money will be collected have very large fixed assets in this country. They are not fly-by-night operators. They…

I move: That the proposal that Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: (i) Planning and Development (Fees for Certain Applications) Regulations 2023, (ii) Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. XX) Regulations 2023, and (iii) Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No. 4) Regulations 2023, copies of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 23rd June, 2023 and 30th, June, 2023 be referred to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in accordance wit…

I will respond to Deputy Whitmore. I heard that only a little more than 18 hours' notice was given to submit amendments. I am not involved in making those decisions, but I contacted the Bills Office just before this debate. I am waiting for a reply and I have requested an extension on the timeframe for the tabling of amendments.

There will be a different piece of legislation.

Go on. I dare the Deputy.

Deputy Stanton asked about AI and advice on same. The National Cyber Security Centre has circulated advice to Departments and other public sector bodies on the use of AI. That advice is classified and has not been published but, in general, it advises not uploading confidential documents and not using the output of generative AI directly, for example, to reply to letters from the public or generate strategies or documents. There is a significant upside to generative AI – it is not just a risk – and both sides are b…