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Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: The committee will resume its annual mid-year review of the 2017 Estimates for Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment, which amounts to €540,363,000. We will begin with programme C on energy. I welcome the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten, and the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Kyne. I ask the Minister to begin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: Does the Minister feel that excessive pressure will be placed on Ireland's budget in future because we are missing our EU targets, and the fines may be substantial? Do any of the members have questions on programme C?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: We are dealing with programme C on energy. Questions should link investment and performance. I will ask the Minster to respond before any further questions from members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: I will bring the Minister in now before the next round of questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: The Minister has answered comprehensively.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank Deputy Smith. I will bring in Deputy Lawless before bringing in the Minister, and that will be all the contributions under this programme.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: I ask the Minister to answer Deputy Smith's and Deputy Lawless's questions before we move on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: I ask members to keep contributions to points of clarification because there are a lot of other programmes to get through and we are tight on time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Deputy. I ask the Minister to keep his reply as brief as possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: We are now moving on to programme D - natural resources. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Kyne, and ask him to make a brief opening statement before I bring in members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: The estimated target coverage for the Tellus programme was 9,000 sq. km in 2016 but 6,000 sq. km in 2017. Will the Minister of State explain why this is the case, given the fact that the estimated allocation for the subhead increased by €2.5 million?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank Deputy Smith. It is an important issue for this committee and I am sure we would have the agreement of all members to have a longer debate on the wider issue of energy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: We will move on to Programme E - inland fisheries. Does the Minister of State want to make a statement or will we move on to questions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: I will start by raising the issue of the mysterious pink salmon reported in the west's river systems. Is there a risk to native Irish salmon and should a new metric be used now to address that risk? I will call Deputy Lawless who has also indicated.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: We will move on to Programme F - environment and waste management.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Deputy. I have one question which is related to the local authorities. I note that by mid-2017 they had not drawn down as much as was expected for landfill remediation projects. Will the Minister explain why that was the case?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: We will now move on to programme G - appropriations-in-aid, if the Minister would like to make a brief opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: As there are no questions, we will now move on to administration. These subheads have already been covered in programme expenditure. If there are no questions, we will move on to the Environment Fund. The Minister may make an opening statement, if he wishes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: Did Senator Leyden want to come in on any of those topics?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Resumed) (5 Oct 2017)

Hildegarde Naughton: We had a minute's silence at the beginning of the meeting. I ask Senator O'Reilly to be brief because there will be expressions of sympathy in the Dáil. The Minister is anxious to speak as well.