Results 5,881-5,900 of 6,083 for speaker:Alan Dillon

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: I reassure the House that the unredeemed deposits are a normal and expected feature of deposit return schemes internationally. As of the end of 2024, €320 million had been refunded to consumers with €66 million remaining unclaimed. This is not a failure. It reflects the early phases of the scheme but it also will naturally reduce as we move forward towards our EU targets of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Deputy rightly asks the questions regarding the unredeemed deposits. I have outlined the reinvestment into the operational costs for setting up the DRS. I have also outlined-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: -----that will see a reduction in those unredeemed deposits as we move forward with more campaigns and more informative education. We are also looking at expanding the DRS for municipal bulk machines to ensure people can come to municipal areas and to address that. Regarding the salaries, as I said earlier, Re-turn is a not-for-profit organisation. Individual salaries are not reported...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Solar Energy Guidelines (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank Deputy Whitmore. The warmer homes scheme, operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, on behalf of the Department, is really important in efforts to tackle energy poverty and improve the energy efficiency of homes for those most in need. It is fully funded through carbon tax receipts and the European Regional Development Fund. Last year saw a record spend of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Solar Energy Guidelines (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: I absolutely share the Deputy's concerns about the high energy bills. That is why we want to ensure that equity is at the heart of our energy transition. The warmer homes scheme is designed to deliver maximum bill savings per euro spent for those most in need. Many of these homes, it is often said, could be cold, damp and poorly insulated. Basic installation can cut energy costs by up to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Solar Energy Guidelines (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: I can confirm to the House that the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, has written to the energy suppliers and is preparing to meet them over the coming weeks in regard to the challenges around costs. This Government is very much focused on responding through the warmer homes scheme. This year, we have increased the level of funding to €280 million to fully fund upgrades for those who are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Conservation (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Government is committed to continue delivery of the SEAI's residential and community energy upgrade scheme, which is central to achieving our national retrofit plan targets. This includes delivering more B2 home energy upgrades, revising and improving grants and financial models for homeowners, supporting group retrofits and area-based approach in enhancing energy efficiency to reduce...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Conservation (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: 12 o’clock The SEAI has confirmed that it does not record applications that have been withdrawn. It only records them for homeowners who have agreed to proceed with the works through the one-stop shop. However, the SEAI has reported that over 3,500 homeowner efficiency assessments have been completed in 2025. That is the first step in the process. Approximately 44% of those...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Conservation (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: There has been strong demand. There were almost 70,000 applications in 2024. There have been over 40,000 so far this year. Through the national retrofit programme, we are seeing further capital funding under the national development plan. We will see an additional €264 million through the European regional development fund. Local authorities will also have an opportunity through...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Recycling Policy (17 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) was introduced in February 2024 to encourage more people to recycle plastic bottles and cans and to deliver on ambitious EU targets for the recycling of those products. Participation in DRS in its first year has been very positive. Re-turn was set up by beverage producers to meet their obligations under the DRS Regulations and is a not-for-profit company,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Policy (17 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: Nitrous oxide has various legitimate uses, medical, non-medical and industrial, and because of its legitimate uses it is not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Acts or under the International Drug Conventions. However, under section 3 of the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010, it is an offence to sell, import or export a psychoactive substance for human consumption,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Recycling Policy (17 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: Provisions relating to review of the operation and scope of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) are set down in the Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations (S.I. No. 33 of 2024). Specifically, Regulation 7 provides for a review of Re-turn's approval by the end of the second quarter of the third year after the grant of approval and by the end of the second quarter of each third...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Policy (17 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: Major retailers, including supermarkets, are required by EU law to join an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for packaging. In Ireland, Repak operates the sole EPR approved under packaging legislation. The EPR model provides that members pay fees in accordance with the volume and type of packaging they place on the Irish market. These fees are eco-modulated, meaning packaging...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Illegal Dumping (17 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: Under the Waste Management Act, the primary responsibility for management and enforcement responses to illegal dumping lies with the local authorities. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the most appropriate awareness, enforcement, clean-up and disposal actions in relation to illegal dumping in their functional area, taking account of local circumstances and priorities. ...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Official Engagements (17 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: As Minister of State with special responsibility for the Circular Economy at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, I have pursued active engagement with a broad range of stakeholders across my portfolio since taking office. On 26 March 2025, I met with the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Re-turn, the company which holds an approval under the Deposit Return Scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social Enterprise Sector (17 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: Product re-use and repair are building blocks of a circular economy. We need to ensure that re-use and repair skills are built within the population and that opportunities exist to develop skills and employment. It is also important that barriers to re-use and repair are removed and that re-use and repair becomes standard practice in priority areas. The Circular Economy Innovation Grant...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Illegal Dumping (17 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 158, 159 and 160 together. Where the European Commission has reason to believe that a Member State has failed to adhere to a European Directive or Regulation, for example the Waste Framework Directive, or has failed to fully transpose such European legislation into national legislation, the Commission may instigate infringement procedures against that...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (17 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: My colleague, Minister Burke, launched the National Enterprise Hub (NEH) last July. The NEH was designed as an entry point to aid business owners find relevant supports and help for their business. The NEH platform has expanded considerably and now offers information and support on over 250 government supports from 32 different Government bodies, including InterTradeIreland. The NEH...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Budget 2026 (17 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: Your question specifically relates to Budget 2026 which will be announced by the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation on 7th October. Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices play a central role in supporting the growth and internationalisation of Irish SMEs across all sectors, including fashion and design....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Budget 2026 (17 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Government recently published the Action Plan and Market Diversification which has a series of initiatives designed to deepen and expand existing market relationships where possible, identify and cultivate new market opportunities, deepen agency support for companies seeking to diversify their export markets and promote and protect market access for Irish goods. Planning by Departments...