Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will allow the witnesses time to note my questions. A sum of €20 million has been ring-fenced for retrofitting in the midlands. How are the midlands defined? Will the money be ring-fenced to be used in certain counties?

I do not accept that the Department is still considering the recent judgment on horticulture because it was issued two months ago. Is new legislation being introduced on peat given that there are between 3,000 and 4,000 jobs in the sector?

We heard that 80,000 social houses had been refitted. Is Mr. Armstrong telling me that 80,000 houses are not using oil or gas at the moment? My understanding is that this retrofitting involved a bit of insulation. I do not see householders changing to air, water or anything like that. Will Mr. Armstrong confirm the position?

Mr. Carroll referred to reductions in Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions generated by transport, etc. My next question requires a straight "Yes" or "No" answer. I have done some research on this issue. The closure of the two plants by Bord na Móna and the ESB will not reduce Ireland's emissions because the companies trade on the European emissions trading system. In addition, it will not change our emissions from agriculture, transport and energy when we come to add them up. I want that clarified.

Mr. Carroll referred to €5 million allocated to the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Was he referring to the 12 bogs that the NPWS is currently working on because that work has been budgeted for already? That money came through the EU LIFE fund. Is this an additional €5 million?

When did the ESB inform the Minister of the closures? Will Mr. Dollard confirm that he will be able to redeploy all employees in the 15 places he named, between skills places and depots, including a number in the west of Ireland, if they wish to do so? I know they will be given an option if they wish to take redundancy. If they wish to be redeployed, from what I understand Mr. Dollard is saying, ESB will be able to redeploy them.

Emissions credits were given by Europe for the tonnages that the ESB was using. My understanding is that the ESB has to cut down on emissions as it goes. If it stops at the end of 2020, we know, from when I spoke to the witnesses before, that the credits the ESB has are worth €26 a tonne on the market. Will there be a large windfall of money on the tonnage that the ESB has if another big conglomerate in another part of Europe requires credits? Why, under the same regulations, has Bord na Móna been able to get planning permission to use biomass and peat when the ESB could not have a second go at it? I note when the ESB talked about its reasoning, it was climate, commercial and planning reasons. Where do social and economic reasons come in for the people in rural parts of Ireland? Did the ESB not take trying to help them into account?

Will Mr. Donnellan tell me the number of full and part-time employees that Bord na Móna has at present? He said that Bord na Móna would be able to employ 210 and that there would be limited redundancies. Can he guarantee the rest of them for the next seven years? He talked about new ideas. When I met Mr. Donnellan two years ago, he gave us a lovely glossy document and told us about how there were goals for 2025 and 2027. I know that things have changed. Can he give a clear path to the rest of the workers?

Everyone on the committee needs to get real about restoration. The national park statistics indicate that €5 million covers about 17 diggers for 240 days. We need to be realistic that some of Bord na Móna's bogs could not be restored for the simple reason that they have gone beyond restoring.