Results 1,161-1,180 of 28,190 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes. It is allocated out of this.

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: We will get the Deputy the details on the specific partner countries. They are generally paid through UN climate funds. It is our contribution to that fund. It is disbursed from the UN out to developing countries. We have strong relationships particularly with the Pacific Islands and countries at the forefront of climate change. It is to assist them. It is administered through the UN.

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: It is not accounted as part of the Irish Aid budget, no. It is not part of point 7, if that is what the Deputy is asking. I think there was a question on the climate conversations. During 2024, the climate conversations report was published, outlining that, in total, 450 people were engaged through focus groups and workshops. That included the National Youth Assembly on Climate, which...

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: On A.7, just transition, we have €22.439 million. We have entered into grant agreements. Effectively, that is part of our EU just transition fund. I will give examples of a couple of projects. With regard to tourism infrastructure, €38 million in grants was provided to Fáilte Ireland. That is a type of project. Some €10 million was awarded to the Department of...

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Is the Deputy asking about business or residential?

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: That scheme was launched just over 12 months ago. There are 355 loans under the scheme. That is the most up-to-date figure I have. We have expanded that to other lenders as well. We announced that in May or June of this year. Some 355 loans were drawn down over the period to the end of quarter 1 of 2025, to the value of €17.2 million. We have expanded the home energy upgrade loan...

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: It is run by the SBCI, and we partner with the banks. Even from an administrative perspective, we have staff in that space. Much of that would be staff costs.

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I am not sure but I will find out for the Deputy and come back to her.

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: There are other elements to it, such as marketing. We will get the Deputy a breakdown of that. That is no issue whatsoever.

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Will I respond now?

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I am happy to do so.

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: If I may, I will deal with the warmer homes scheme first. We discussed it by way of questions in the Dáil just a couple of weeks ago. We have allocated €280 million to the scheme in the 2025 Estimate. That is €70 million more than in the previous year. The scheme is focused exclusively on low-income households. It is a free retrofit, and rightly so, to tackle energy...

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Would it go into subhead A?

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I would expect it would be by itself because it is a significant item of capital expenditure that would require its own subhead. It will not go into subhead B.

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Potentially, but it will be funded separately. I know we have had some discussion on this on the floor of the Dáil as well. If there was some disparity between the cost I referred to on capital costs and what was reported in one of our newspapers saying there is €300 million versus €900 million, there is no disparity there because the €900 million includes the...

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: It would be because first we have to identify the site and there will be site surveys and all the things all Deputies here will know as regards planning. Onshore works will be required as regards piers, pipeline and so on. We are trying to accelerate this project. I have already met with the project group, GNI and my Department initially to step this out. It is hard to know how long it...

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I literally just received it as I was sitting here, yes.

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: No, not yet, but I will write back to the board. Obviously, someone on the board was watching the hearing that day because the letter arrived in the office. It went to the wrong office and was dated, I think, 27 June. I have the letter and am working through it. It will be responded to before the target date. I think the board has asked for a response by 7 August. I am considering that...

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his questions and comments. It is important to recognise what the Government did during the acute phase of the cost-of-living crisis. We transferred over €1,500 to 2.2 million households, and that was a cost to the Exchequer of €3.3 billion. It was the most significant energy support any European country gave any of its citizens and it did help. There...

Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised) (16 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: It was 40%. It is small in monetary terms, but it a reduction. I do not want to oversell it in that sense, but it is going in the right direction. We also have to make people aware of the savings that can be made through switching energy provider. Not enough people switch. The task force is also looking at how we can assist people in switching energy providers and make the information...