Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Thank you. I welcome the opportunity to engage with the committee on the further Revised Estimates for my Department for 2016 which deal with the formal transfer into the Department of funding for the climate action and environment divisions. Having climate action and environment in the same Department as energy and natural resources is a sensible decision and there are many business synergies and advantages in ensuring greater policy harmonisation across those sectors. Having formally ratified the Paris Agreement earlier this month and engaged in debate with other environment Ministers at a COP 22 meeting in Marrakech, I can see a real need to ensure a whole of government approach is taken to deliver on meaningful and real carbon reductions over the coming years.

Reducing the overall amount of energy we use by increasing our energy efficiency measures has to be a key priority for my Department and I have argued hard to ensure that my Department secured a real increase in resources in 2017. Increasing the use of our renewable energy resources and more sustainable management of our waste, including increased recycling, will all contribute to a more sustainable future. We will have a further engagement after the 2017 Revised Estimates are published next month, which will go into my Department's 2017 plans in much greater detail.

I am accompanied by my officials - Martin Finucane, finance officer, Jim Whelan, assistant principal officer, Kevin O'Donoghue, principal officer and Ken Cleary, assistant principal officer. In terms of the further revised 2016 expenditure, including expenditure in the new environment divisions, in capital my Department has spent €71 million out of a profiled expenditure of €96 million, representing 72% of profiled expenditure to the end of October. On current expenditure, my Department has spent €274 million out of an end of October profile of €288 million representing 95% of profiled mid-year expenditure. Appropriations-in-aid are running at €187 million out of a profile of €195 million, or 96% of end of October profile.

As I signalled when I met members in June and September to discuss the 2016 Estimates, there has been a deferral of some expenditure on the broadband programmes this year and since then my Department has received sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to divert some €3.5 million of capital from this subhead to other areas as follows: €0.5 million to TG4 to complete the replacement of a roof at its headquarters in Baile na hAbhann in Galway; €0.5 million to the Geological Survey of Ireland to fund an airborne survey as part of the groundwater 3D mapping programme; €2.3 million for Inland Fisheries Ireland for investment in the recently undertaken national strategy on angling development to cover increased fisheries development activity, infrastructure improvements and new equipment including the replacement of rib boats for patrol duties; and €0.2 million for additional work this year on the old Avoca mining site. The Department does not require any supplementary Estimate for 2016.