Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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67. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has considered the French government's steps to introduce solar panels on all car parks in France; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3569/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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My colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government & Heritage has responsibility for the overall development of national planning policy and legislation. Under that remit, his Department also has responsibility for the Energy Performance in Buildings Directive and are working closely with the EU Commission and other member states in relation to the revised Directive, which is currently being finalised.

This recast Energy Performance in Buildings Directive includes provisions that will have a considerable effect in supporting an EU-wide rooftop solar strategy for multiple building types over the coming years. Article 9a of the current draft version of the Directive refers to requirements for Solar energy in buildings and focuses on Member States ensuring that all new buildings are designed to optimise their solar energy generation potential on the basis of the solar irradiance of the site which in turn will enable the later cost-effective installation of solar technologies.

This draft also includes targets for Member States to ensure the deployment of suitable solar energy installations on all new public and commercial non-residential buildings by 2027 and all new residential buildings by 2029. The final version of the directive is due to be published shortly and further details can be obtained from the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage.

My department oversees both the Microgeneration Support Scheme for installations up to 50kWe gov.ie - Micro-generation (www.gov.ie) and is developing the Small-Scale Generation scheme gov.ie - Consultation on a Small-Scale Generation Support Scheme (SSG) in Ireland (www.gov.ie) for generators above 50kW to support the deployment of rooftop and ground-mounted solar PV in cohorts that are not as suited to other support measures, such as the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme.