Results 281-300 of 28,698 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Infrastructure (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 106, 135 and 137 together. Issues regarding the development of the national electricity grid rest with EirGrid, as Transmission System Operator, and ESB Networks, as Distribution System Operator, who are independent of me as Minister in the exercise of their respective functions. Both entities are overseen by the independent regulator, the Commission for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Renewable Energy Generation (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Government has committed to an ambitious target for indigenously produced biomethane by 2030. In response, my Department, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, published the National Biomethane Strategy in May 2024. Anaerobic digestion (AD), although a very well-established technology in Europe with over 20,000 plants in operation, is a relatively new and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Prices (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Regulation of retail energy markets is solely a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) since the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999, and subsequent legislation. The CRU is an independent regulator, accountable to the Oireachtas and not to me as Minister. However, officials from my Department correspond with the CRU on an ongoing basis to track...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Generation (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Government remains committed to the development of 5GW of offshore wind capacity with projects in construction by 2030 and energised as soon as feasible thereafter. Ireland's 5GW target will be met through a combination of projects from Phase One and from within the South Coast DMAP. Five offshore wind projects are presently in development off our east coast. Applications for planning...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Infrastructure (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: All batteries in Ireland are manufactured, sold and operated in line with relevant EU regulation and standards. This includes safety testing, certification and labelling for the marketing and the putting into service of batteries used in grid-connected electrical storage systems. EU Regulation (2023/1542) – ‘Concerning Batteries & Waste Batteries’, sets out...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action Plan (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: To track implementation of Climate Action Plans (CAP), the Department of the Taoiseach works with the implementing Departments to publish quarterly progress reports. Details on every action due in that quarter is published as an Appendix to each report. Legacy actions from previous CAPs are also included. These are all available at:...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Prices (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 114, 119 and 141 together. The Programme for Government acknowledges the increased energy cost pressures on households and businesses and commits to bringing forward additional measures to help contain energy costs. According to Eurostat, in the first half of 2025, Ireland had the fifth highest domestic electricity prices among European countries and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Conservation (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government is committed to driving increased retrofitting and home energy upgrades, as part of the National Retrofit Plan and as set out in the Programme for Government. This includes the continued delivery of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland's (SEAI) residential and community energy upgrade schemes, including delivering more B2 home energy upgrades; revising and improving the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Business Supports (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: In 2024 alone, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) provided grants of over €40 million to over 3,000 businesses significantly supporting energy cost reduction, competitiveness, and emissions reductions. The Business Energy Upgrade Scheme, funded by my Department and administered by the SEAI, is part of a suite of business supports. It opened for applications in November...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Prices (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government acknowledges the increased energy cost pressures on households and commits to bringing forward measures to contain energy costs and tackle energy poverty. Government has introduced a suite of measures over recent years to help households and businesses deal with the cost of energy. In Budget 2026, Government approved an extension of the 9% VAT rate currently...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Prices (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government acknowledges the pressure that high energy costs place on Irish households and businesses. Energy affordability is a key priority for me as Minister, and in June of this year my Department established a cross-Government Energy Affordability Taskforce to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses while delivering...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Generation (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Government remains committed to the development of 5GW of offshore wind capacity. I chair the Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce which is driving delivery of this objective. My Department’s Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is the support mechanism to incentivise the development of both offshore and onshore wind and also of grid-scale solar. The RESS provides State aid for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: State Bodies (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is an independent regulator, accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas. While CRU is financed by means of a levy on regulated entities, it must receive approval from myself, as Minister, and the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, in consultation with the Department of Housing,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Budgets (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity market is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which is an independent regulator, accountable to a Committee of the Oireachtas and not to me, as Minister. The CRU was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity sector following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act, 1999 and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Renewable Energy Generation (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Article 15b of the Renewable Energy Directive requires Ireland to carry-out national territory mapping to identify the domestic potential, and available areas necessary, for the installation of renewable energy generation and related infrastructure, as required to meet our national contribution towards the EU 2030 renewable energy target. Existing City or County Development Plans and Wind...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Renewable Energy Generation (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Government has committed to deliver an ambitious target for indigenously produced biomethane by 2030. In response, my Department, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, published the National Biomethane Strategy in May 2024. Anaerobic digestion (AD), although a very well-established technology in Europe with over 20,000 plants in operation, is a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Ireland’s target to reduce emissions under the revised Effort Sharing Regulations (ESR) is 42% on 2005 levels by 2030. This Regulation covers those sectors of the economy that fall outside the scope of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) including transport, buildings, agriculture, light industry and waste. Under the existing compliance arrangements, Member States can meet...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Infrastructure (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 has passed Second Stage in the Dáil. The Bill aims to streamline the current EPA licencing process by putting in place statutory timelines for EPA decisions and also by enabling ‘limited’ licence reviews in circumstances where an EIA is not required and the proposed change to an installation is not substantial. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Solar Energy Guidelines (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 134 together. There is currently a range of measures in place to support the rollout of solar panels on public buildings. The Non-Domestic Micro-generation Scheme provides capital grants for non-domestic applicants, including public buildings, for solar PV installations up to 1000kW, primarily for self-consumption, with grant levels up to a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Emergency Planning (6 Nov 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I welcome the recent report of the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) regarding Ireland’s resilience to the impacts of climate change. The CCAC reviewed Ireland’s progress on Climate Adaptation measures for the year from April 2024 to March 2025 and noted that while progress had been made under the 2024 National Adaptation Framework, there was room for improvement. ...