I thank the Deputy. The deployment areas, each of which include approximately 4,000 customers, do not match the constituencies. Therefore, we have three different deployment areas covering Cork North-Central. Large parts of those deployment areas are not in the Deputy's constituency and that is why I am mentioning areas that are outside of where the Deputy is. Clogheen Mixed National School is located at Carrigrohane, Gaelscoil Uí Drisceoil, Lower Glanmire National School, Scoil Náisiúnta Bhiorainn in Berrings, Sco…

When I started in this role I informed the company that I would be applying all of the penalties I could legally apply and there would be no mercy shown. I did so because I did not want the idea to form that I would overlook issues and we would just try to work together. A range of penalty clauses apply for being late with the delivery of installation. Penalty clauses also apply if the service is unreliable. If the service is dropping, for example, specific euro amounts are charged. For the first two years of the c…

I am sorry that this discussion is taking place hours before the climate action plan is published. On bringing people with us, I am not deluded and I do not think the Government and the Dáil can just impose things on people. We rule with the consent of the public and we cannot make changes that people do not feel are fair and reasonable. People will make huge changes, as we saw in the pandemic. They can alter their lives if they understand that it is essential to do so to protect each other or for society as a whol…

Technology is the solution to many issues but not everything. We cannot count on technologies that have not been delivered yet or have only worked in a test phase. Our experience is that huge technological advances are possible. What we cannot do is choose not do anything and wait for a technological miracle to deliver things in the future, so we will have business as usual. We must change the way we do things. Sometimes the answer is not technology, for example, a flying car, but something else, such as working fr…

Deputy Farrell asked if the climate action plan can evolve and adapt. It can but the target does not change. We have to reach the 51% target. Every quarter we reassess the climate action plan's progress, as I said, and every year we do a new climate action plan. We are changing the plan all the time, with regard to the implementation steps, but not the goal. On mining, we are trying to move from a society based on taking things out of the ground, building things with them and then disposing of those things afterwar…

This is a timely question given that the climate action plan will come out today. The question is not whether but how we do this. How do we do it in a way that is fair, acceptable and just, one which people will buy into and see makes sense? The Deputy's asked if we can do more on electricity and, in that way, avoid changing other sectors. The electricity sector has high ambitions. It is looking at achieving 80% renewables by 2030. I hope I am not giving away anything from the climate action plan. Electricity will …

I thank the Senators for proposing this debate and Senator Boylan for contributing. I welcome the opportunity to address the House on flooding matters. Flooding is an important issue that affects many people in Ireland. That is increasing as time goes on. Extreme weather events around the world in the past year have shown us all that we must act quickly to protect ourselves and our planet. This year's extreme weather has provided a stark backdrop to the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. Flooding is just one of those…

Ireland is committed to concerted global action to address the climate crisis and Ireland engages in negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCC, and the Paris Agreement through its membership of the EU. Ireland has actively engaged with EU partners in preparation for the 26th conference, namely, COP26 in Glasgow, which commenced on 31 October and will conclude on 12 November 2021. The Taoiseach is attending the world leaders' summit to deliver the national statement. This wi…

I agree that casting this as a rural versus urban narrative is not helpful. This is something that we can only solve by working together and being constructive in our approach. I thank Sinn Féin for dropping its Private Members' wind farm Bill, seeing that the Bill was the wrong thing to do and having the humility to change course.

I agree that lobbyists seeking exemptions has been counterproductive. Sectoral lobbyists have come in looking for procrastination, but that has not served their members. Instead, it has led to more pain. We cannot make progress on climate action without a just transition. It would not be feasible or viable to get people to change unless they feel that the changes are fair. Clonakilty is a town that has been leading in being progressive on green issues. It is a thriving town in a rural area that has business because…

The position of successive Governments for almost 20 years has been that competitive energy markets result in greater choice for consumers and businesses in terms of suppliers, products and prices, support competition and drive down prices. Operating within an overall EU framework, responsibility for the regulation of electricity and gas markets is solely a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, the independent energy regulator. The CRU was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the elec…

I thank the Deputy. As he rightly stated, I have not previously heard the statements he put forward today and they are not in documents I received before this, but I will try to address them. On procurement, the Deputy raises a question about whether additional energy generation capacity was correctly procured. There is the possibility under European and Irish law to procure things in an emergency capacity when they are needed. That is strictly laid out in law. There are certain situations where a contracting autho…

On behalf of the Government, I thank all Deputies for an engaging discussion on the issue of strengthening the credit union sector. It is clear that there is agreement on the importance of the credit union sector and the vital role it plays in providing much-needed funding to local communities. The role is even more important given the impending withdrawal of Ulster Bank and KBC Ireland and the closure of many bank branches. The goal of the Government is to help and support the credit union sector in continuing to …

Budget 2022, with an overall expenditure allocation of €87.6 billion, reflects the Government's commitment to return the public finances to a more sustainable position, address challenges in the key areas of housing and climate action, enhance public services and social supports and ensure a balanced recovery from the pandemic. To respond to the pandemic, the Government made available over €30 billion in funding for direct expenditure supports. This funding was targeted at supporting our health service to respond t…

I thank all the Members who made contributions. I found them interesting and informative and I will try and address some of them for a start. Starting with Senator Casey. I agree it is important to have a credible economic policy. One of the reasons for that is that if we do not have it we cannot borrow on international markets and we cannot get the money that we need at the price that we need to supply the services that we need when we are in a difficult situation, as we have been for the past two years. It is als…

Senator Cummins asked about the closure of banks. An Post has stepped in and said that it will run services for one of the major banks. An Post reports to the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Naughton. She has been dealing with An Post management and workers and can inform the Senator on that matter. Senator Lombard also asked about the hospitality VAT rate, which is the same thing, and about what happens to the unspent sports capital grants. I will have to …

I will describe a couple of measures to reduce waste next year. Around our country, there are historical landfill sites, including, for example, the illegal site at Kerdiffstown in County Kildare. There is €26 million in my budget for landfill remediation. Fly-tipping is still going on, albeit much less than before. One still sees mattresses and things dumped in our beautiful countryside. Some €11 million has been allocated to local authorities for waste enforcement because enforcement is the only thing that works …

Perhaps I used too little time.

I thank the Senator for raising this issue. I am here on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Heather Humphreys. I am glad the Senator supports the revitalisation of towns and villages and helping people to work from home. It is Government policy to do that. We agreed it last summer. The Senator is raising the practicalities of the short time permitted for the submission of applications, the great amount of detail required, including quotations, and the need to complete t…

I take the Senator's point about changing timelines and how they may have dissuaded applicants and I will take those back to the Minister. I thank her for her invitation to visit south Kildare. I recently bought a renovated electric car from a company called Range Therapy in Narraghmore, outside Kilcullen. It took a very old electric car and upgraded it by adding extra batteries. It is a business that is involved in the circular economy and I compliment those involved on that. I would be very happy to visit south K…