Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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168. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the total capital funding provided for his Department in 2022, broken down by programme; the expenditure profile at the end of September 2022 on each programme; if there is likely to be an underspend in any particular area; the reason for such; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48601/22]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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169. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will provide a subhead breakdown of the €513 million allocated to the energy transformation programme in budget 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48603/22]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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170. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will provide a subhead breakdown of the €143 million allocated to the climate action and environment leadership programme in budget 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48604/22]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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171. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will provide a subhead breakdown of the €110 million allocated to the circular economy development programme in budget 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48605/22]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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172. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will provide a subhead breakdown of the €272 million allocated to the connectivity and communications delivery programme in budget 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48606/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 to 172, inclusive, together.

My Department prepares a profile of projected monthly spending at the start of each year and actively manages expenditure throughout the fiscal year to deliver on its agreed business priorities and objectives.  However, it is not unusual for actual expenditure to vary from profiled expenditure. The war in Ukraine has had a prohibitive effect on Energy supply which in turn increased the cost of Energy, in response my Department has completed two Supplementary Estimates; the first tackled the rising cost via a universal Electricity credit; the second was necessary for the procurement of additional electricity generation equipment.

The 2022 Capital Allocations for my Department by programme are given in the table below:

As set out in the Fiscal Monitor report for August 2022 (gov.ie - Fiscal Monitor August 2022 (www.gov.ie))  my Department was 10.8% behind on a profiled spend of €733m at the end of August, inclusive of the Supplementary Estimates.  The profiled spend to end September is €873m with a forecasted outturn of €708m.

The 2023 Capital Allocations for my Department by programme are set out in the table below:

The Department is currently reviewing financial performance by programme for Quarter 4 with a view to preparing a forecast outturn for the year end.

My Department has a number of critical deliverables in 2023 specific to its remit including:

1. Coordination of the National Energy Security Framework which provides an overarching and comprehensive response to Ireland’s energy needs in the context of the war in Ukraine.

2. REPowerEU Programme for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy, eliminating EU dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2030.

3. The scale of the ambition to be delivered by Ireland to achieve its commitments to limiting climate change as set out in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 including:

a. A 51% reduction in annual greenhouse gases from a base year of 2018 by 2030 and net zero emissions no later than 2050, 

b. The Government Decision (S180/20/10/2704) on Sectoral Emission ceilings including additional targets re;

i. 2GW of offshore wind for the production of green hydrogen,

ii. Obligations on the heat sector by 2024 to incentivise 5.7TWh anaerobic digestion by 2030

iii. Additional 3GW (5.5GW in total) of solar energy by 2030.

4. Ireland’s commitments under the EU Green Deal including a just transition to zero emissions with no person or place left behind and commitments to cleaner energy.

5. Section 5.6.2 of the ‘Housing for All’ Plan which commits this Department and National Broadband Ireland to the acceleration of the rollout of the National Broadband Plan (Housing Policy Objective 26)

6. The Programme for Government commitment to ‘Ensure that the Department of Climate Action has the capacity and expertise to manage the transition in energy efficiency and renewable energy and to carry out its expanded function in relation to carbon budgets.

7. Implementation of the Government’s Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy as committed to in the Programme for Government.

8. Implementation of the reform of the National Security Strategy 2019-2024, including the recommendations from the 2021 capacity review of the National Cyber Security Centre.

9. Complete the land use review committed to in the Programme for Government, to optimise the storage of greenhouse gases, the restoration of biodiversity and pristine water systems and the development of rural communities.

A breakdown within the programmes will be published in the Revised Estimates Volume later this year.