Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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15. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the specific responsibilities and powers of Coimisiún na Meán in relation to the enforcement of take-back obligations on online distance sellers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55588/25]

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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26. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if, in view of the fact that Ireland’s municipal waste recycling rate has remained at 41% for the past decade, well below the EU target of 55% for 2025, if he will outline the measures his Department is taking to ensure that distance sellers are meeting their legal obligations in relation to waste collection, recycling and producer responsibility schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55571/25]

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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27. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if, in view of Ireland’s municipal waste recycling rate remaining at 41% for the past decade, well below the 55% target for 2025, his Department has assessed the merits of introducing a pay-on-behalf system to address non-compliance by distance sellers with their waste and recycling obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55572/25]

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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28. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the measures he will take to rectify the imbalance in obligations for product take-back and recycling between domestic retailers and distance sellers, with a view to ensuring that all businesses placing products on the Irish market are subject to equivalent environmental compliance requirements. [55573/25]

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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31. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider commissioning an assessment of the costs incurred by Irish retailers as a result of distance sellers who fail to comply with their take-back obligations under extended producer responsibility schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55586/25]

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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32. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the specific responsibilities and powers of the Environmental Protection Agency in relation to the enforcement of extended producer responsibility rules as they apply to distance sellers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55587/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 15, 26, 27, 28, 31 and 32 together.

Producer Responsibility legislation is designed to ensure that producers of relevant goods contribute to the costs of collecting and recycling these goods when they are no longer in use. Ensuring all obligated producers pay their share is critical to the credibility and success of these schemes, known as Extended Producer Responsibility schemes (EPRs). In Ireland, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and local authorities both have enforcement roles under the legislation. Those bodies work together, and with the EPR organisations, to ensure compliance in the Irish market and to contribute to achievement of EU recycling targets.

The EPA is responsible for enforcing certain obligations on both distance sellers and distributors under the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Regulations and Batteries Regulations, and may take a prosecution for a summary offence for failure to comply with the regulations. Further information on the obligations of distance sellers is available here: www.epa.ie/publications/compliance--enforcement/waste/Guidance-for-distance-sellers-of-EEE-and-Batteries.pdf.

Compliance of distance sellers is a critical issue for EPR. Free-riding distance sellers enjoy a cost advantage over their counterparts who have paid their EPR fees. The Department is working with stakeholders and regulators to tackle this issue both systemically and at the level of individual operators.

Recent circular economy legislation for batteries and packaging waste refers Member States to provisions available under the EU Digital Services Act. How to leverage the measures under that Act is the subject of discussion between the Department and stakeholders currently. Other approaches such as a 'Pay on Behalf' model led by a host online platform, also offers opportunities to promote compliance and forms part of the suite of measures being actively explored.

This matter is of concern across the EU. The European Commission has issued a Call for Evidence in preparation for publishing a proposed Circular Economy Act next year. Ireland will work with the Commission and other Member States to support measures for EPRs that ensure fair competition in the EU market are included in that legislation.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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16. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he has engaged with EirGrid and ESB regarding the amount of funding they have allocated to facilitating new data centre connections through Exchequer funding; if this data is recorded; and if so, to provide a detailed breakdown funding provided for this purpose in each of the years since 2020, in tabular form. [55871/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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54. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to outline how the commitment in Budget 2026 to leverage “the €3.5 billion equity into semi-state energy companies to boost electricity supply and make the network more sustainable and resilient” will be achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55892/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 54 together.

On 22 July 2025 Government approved a €3.5 billion investment in Ireland’s electricity infrastructure across 2026-2030 as part of the National Development Plan. This represents the largest single investment in the country’s electricity network in its history.

€1.5 billion will be allocated to ESB Networks to support investment in the onshore electricity grid and €2 billion will be allocated to EirGrid to support the financing of its offshore electricity grid investment plan. Government approval has now been secured to draft a Bill providing for the investment in ESB, and it is hoped to publish the Bill in the coming weeks.

The equity investment will support the ability to finance the unprecedented investment in our electricity system proposed for 2026-2030 as part of the Price Review 6 period. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities, as the independent regulator, as part of their draft determination has set out proposed investment of up to €18.1 billion in the electricity system, with a €14.1 billion baseline investment guaranteed. A final determination by the CRU is expected by year end.

My Department will continue to engage closely with ESB and EirGrid to ensure that the equity injection is used effectively to meet commitments under Price Review 6. Enhancing the electricity grid will play a crucial part in delivering on Programme for Government commitments across housing, competitiveness, security of supply and renewable energy.