Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I suggest Deputy Ó Murchú write formally to the Department about the specifics of the scheme he is interested in. We will certainly get a response to him.

To add to Deputy Byrne's point, we are building momentum in this regard and we can see there are practical realities on the ground in many communities. He talked about the large-scale operation in south Dublin. There is also one in Blanchardstown. Fingal County Council uses waste heat from a data centre to serve public sector businesses and residential customers. There is also a strong pipeline outside Dublin. In Waterford and Galway private developers are working with local authorities to submit preliminary project scopes to the SEAI. There are also feasibility studies in Dundalk, Drogheda, Naas, Maynooth and Arklow and more towns are expressing interest. The Department is currently working with the district heating centre of excellence in the SEAI and we want to ensure this vision is clear and that we can deliver district heating so it can become a mainstream low-carbon solution for many Irish communities.

See this speech in context