Pa Daly

Slightly.

I move amendment No. 3: In page 13, between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following: "(4) The Minister shall cause a copy of any order made under subsection (1) to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made, and the order shall lapse 6 months after the date it is made unless earlier revoked or expressly continued by a resolution of both Houses.". Mar gheall …

Will orders, if any orders are proposed, include it?

On that basis, I will not press the amendment.

I move amendment No. 4: In page 14, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following: "(d) publish a notice of the request for an exemption, accompanied by the information provided under subsection (1), on a website maintained by it or on its behalf and in a national newspaper, inviting submissions from the public within a period of not less than 30 days; (e) consider all submissions or observa…

I move amendment No. 5: In page 14, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following: “(4A) In this section, ‘exceptional circumstances’ means circumstances that— (a) arise from a unique and unforeseeable event, or a specific and demonstrable public necessity, (b) cannot reasonably be addressed by compliance with the requirements of the EIA Directive within the timeframe necessary to avert ser…

I move amendment No. 6: In page 14, to delete lines 31 to 34 and substitute the following: "(b) publish, prior to deciding the application to which the exemption relates, a notice of the exemption, any requirements referred to in paragraph (a), a summary of public and authority submissions, and the Agency’s reasoned conclusions on the main issues raised— (i) on a website maintained by it or on …

I move amendment No. 7: In page 15, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: “(d) ensure that information published under this section is accessible, written in plain language, and includes non-technical summaries of likely significant effects and mitigation measures.”. Mar gheall ar leasú Uimh. 7 agus 14, ar leathanach 15, idir líne 4 agus 5, molaim go gcuirfí isteach “to ensure that in…

Mar gheall ar na leasuithe sin, tá muid á dtarraingt. I will not be moving those amendments.

I move amendment No. 9: In page 19, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: “(4) The Minister may by regulations prescribe periods under subsection (2), having consulted the Agency, and may prescribe different periods for different classes of activity. (5) The Agency shall include in its annual report under section 51(3) the number of cases in which the period under this section was e…

I move amendment No. 11: In page 23, between lines 19 and 20, to insert the following: “(d) publish a notice of the request for an exemption, accompanied by the information provided under subsection (1), on a website maintained by it or on its behalf and in a national newspaper, inviting submissions from the public within a period of not less than 30 days, and (e) consider all submissions or ob…

I move amendment No. 12: In page 23, between lines 31 and 32, to insert the following: “(4A) In this section, ‘exceptional circumstances’ means circumstances that— (a) arise from a unique and unforeseeable event, or a specific and demonstrable public necessity, (b) cannot reasonably be addressed by compliance with the requirements of the EIA Directive within the timeframe necessary to avert se…

I move amendment No. 13: In page 24, to delete lines 4 to 7 and substitute the following: “(b) publish, prior to deciding the application to which the exemption relates, a notice of the exemption, any requirements referred to in paragraph (a), a summary of public and authority submissions, and the Agency’s reasoned conclusions on the main issues raised— (i) on a website maintained by it or on i…

I move amendment No. 14: In page 24, between lines 16 and 17, to insert the following: “(d) ensure that information published under this section is accessible, written in plain language, and includes non-technical summaries of likely significant effects and mitigation measures.”.

12. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures she is taking to improve disability services in Kerry. [72874/25]

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I remember attending a meeting in Listowel last year when the services in north Kerry were closed. It turned out that they were reopened but there were such levels of stress and anxiety among the families and the service users who were used to attending the service, which was just outside Listowel, the north Kerry service the Minister of State mentioned…

The NCSE recently said it is saying it is no longer in a position to issue letters of eligibility for ASD classes in schools and special schools because it issued a deadline on 1 October and it is using that as an excuse to tell parents they are not getting places and to contact the school for any additional supports. Clearly, it is not appropriate to issue a final deadline like that. There is hug…

100. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the measures he is taking to enhance the power of the regulator to increase transparency in relation to the retail price of energy here; the steps he is taking to investigate and prevent price gouging, as the Taoiseach alleged is taking place (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72871/25]

Before we start, it is no disrespect to the Ministers of State but is the senior Minister ever going to turn up? I presume there is a good reason for his absence.

Tá sé tuirseach traochta.

There seems to be a pattern but anyway. Irish households are being ripped off in their energy bills. Even the Taoiseach has acknowledged it. Last week at the joint committee, we were told that price gouging cannot be ruled out. The ESRI called for a fresh inquiry into our sky-high energy prices. We introduced legislation a few years ago to stop this, but we were ignored, and since then there are…

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I agree to some extent with him that it is a commercial issue. Obviously all the energy companies have a responsibility to their shareholders not only to have the same amount of profit but to have an increased amount the following year and the year after that. I agree with the Minister of State that hedging is an issue. The Government can see that pric…

It certainly is not market failure for the energy companies because they are making huge profits. We have called since 2023 for a dedicated hedging monitoring unit so that the regulator can oversee and regulate hedging because the energy companies need to be held to account and to justify the increase in prices. The regulator must also treat energy as a public good. In the coming months, we are go…

102. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will report on the commitment in the programme for Government to “explore if legislation could be enacted to divert surplus renewable energy, that would otherwise be wasted, to homes in fuel poverty”; the progress that has been made on this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72872/25]

Ireland is wasting over €400 million every year on surplus energy. The programme for Government says that legislation could be enacted to divert surplus renewable energy to homes that are in fuel poverty. The amount being wasted has jumped from over €250 million in 2023. I ask the Minister of State to outline a timeline for the delivery of the diversion of wasted energy to the households that need…