Alan Dillon

Again, we are in the process of simplifying the application process. We understand we need to do more to drive down wait times. We want to continue to deliver deeper, more complex upgrades at an unprecedented scale. The target for next year is over 60,000 upgrades and we are very much looking at accelerating that further. We have looked at cost inflation around much deeper upgrades. They have subs…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta for his question. My Department funds a number of grant schemes administered by the SEAI for solar PV and heat pump installation as part of the national retrofit plan. To the end of September 2025, over 41,500 home energy upgrades had been completed with SEAI grant support. That compares with 38,000 in the same period in 2024, 34,000 in 2023, 16,062 in 2022, 9,938 …

I thank the Deputy for his question and for outlining the challenges faced by some homeowners. We are looking at continuing policy development in regard to the national retrofit plan. In recent years, significant changes have been introduced as part of the retrofitting scheme. One part of that was a new pilot to support the retrofitting of traditional built homes. I will work with the Deputy on th…

Over 41,500 upgrades have been completed so far this year. We have been building momentum. I do not have the numbers on hand for traditional built housing, but I certainly can get that back to the Deputy. As I said earlier, we need more skills and contractors and better supply chain resilience. That is why we are very much focused on more SEAI staff for the warmer homes scheme, and indeed, more on…

I thank the Deputy for the question. The Government, my Department and the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, are fully committed to protecting our rivers, safeguarding our fish stocks and supporting local communities and anglers. I fully recognise and acknowledge the seriousness of the fish kill on the River Blackwater near Mallow. This event has had a major impact on local community anglers and t…

I thank the Deputy for her focus and attention along with her colleagues on this matter. It is the responsibility of Inland Fisheries Ireland to continue to safeguard the fish stock and the habitat within the River Blackwater near Mallow. The Minister of State is extensively engaging on the management plan moving into the future regarding this significant incident. As the Deputy said, three key me…

We need to be very careful identifying ----

-----specific entities here in the House without the right to reply.

In fairness, we need to be very careful of the language we use regarding the extensive investigation that was undertaken around the ongoing monitoring of the River Blackwater and other catchments. It is incumbent on us to ensure this is done through an evidence-based, fact-finding mission. We are reassured that no water quality issues have been detected. We have also ensured that the river remains…

I thank the Deputy for his question. Our Department is very committed to helping households cut energy, reduce emissions and generate their own clean power. Grants of up to €1,800 are available through the SEAI for solar photovoltaic, PV, installations in homes built and occupied before 2021. Since 2022, over 90,000 homes have received grants totalling over €196.7 million, delivering 450 MW of ins…

I thank the Deputy and understand the merits of the question on affordability and the challenges people may encounter when building homes. However, the grant eligibility for solar PV is very much focused on older homes where the need is greatest. Many homes built since 2021 must comply, as I said in my earlier contribution, with Part L of the building regulations and require high energy performanc…

I again thank the Deputy for his response. We have already made changes to the uptake on solar PV installations. In May 2023, in order to bridge the affordability challenges we reduced the VAT rate to zero, which applies to new builds as well as existing homes. That was an important step forward. In doing so, we drove down the cost. As I said, retrofitting new homes on the basis that they will be …

My Department is committed to increasing recycling rates, reducing plastic waste and supporting investment in domestic recycling capacity. In 2023, Ireland recycled 30% of plastic packaging, exceeding the EU target of 22.5%. However, stricter targets of 50% by 2025 and 55% by 2030 will be challenging. These figures cover all plastics, including PET. As EU exporting reporting does not isolate indiv…

Re-Turn has done a tremendous job over the last 18 months since the deposit return scheme, DRS, was introduced. Re-Turn, and the composition of its company as part of the extended producer responsibility, EPR, in the delivery of the DRS, is not obliged under the company law Act to publish its salaries. In good faith, however, it does provide its annual report, as per our Department requirements, a…

Again, we are working on how we can build additional capacity into our recycling systems to avoid the additional exportation of PET. I will say that Re-Turn has been good to work with. It is very efficient. It is a retail-led scheme. We have seen the success of it. It has been widely recognised. We are exploring avenues in regard to how we make use of the unredeemed deposits. The establishment of …

No.

I thank Deputy O'Rourke for raising this Topical Issue in the Chamber. Like the Deputy, I share the same ambition on the delivery of inclusive education in our communities and I commend him on raising this important matter. The Government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the programme for Government makes a number of commit…

Again, I thank Deputy O'Rourke for giving me an opportunity to respond on behalf of the Minister for education and her Department. I appreciate the frustration the Deputy has expressed about the alignment of the NCSE, the SENO and the school. It should not have to be the case that the Deputy has to come in here and express his dissatisfaction with the fact the school has been put in this position.…

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. I compliment him on his passion and advocacy for key infrastructure projects in his constituency and for raising the requirement for investment in infrastructure, and its delivery, to become key priorities for the Government. He earlier raised the issues with large-scale renewable energy projects so this very much follows from that. As hig…

The Deputy raises some very important points. I assure him that investment to improve our infrastructure and accelerate infrastructure delivery is a key priority of this Government. As I said earlier, over the coming weeks Ministers will publish their capital investment plans for the next five years. As the Deputy has said, it is critically important that Kildare North features heavily in many of …

I thank Deputy Burke for raising this important matter. I know how passionate he is about this integrated homeless health hub. I have heard him speak about it on many occasions, as he has again today. I welcome the opportunity to take this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Health and to inform the House of the current position relating to the provision of an integrated homeless health hu…

I acknowledge the Deputy's advocacy for this important health hub. We all recognise the need to respond on a nationwide basis to the health needs of people who are homeless. That includes areas outside Dublin and, to the Deputy's point, including Cork city will be a critical investment for the HSE. I will reiterate to all the Ministers in the Department of Health the need for support for this pro…

I thank Deputy Hearne for raising this important issue and for offering me the opportunity to respond on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, who is not here today. Increasing the provision of disability residential services is a key priority for the Government and the HSE. All Deputies across the House will have specific cases relating to the many families who are finding challenges …

Again, I agree with the Deputy. I think we are all in agreement that we do need to commit to tackling the waiting lists. That is why we have a dedicated Minister of State with responsibility for disability at the Cabinet, working within the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, as part of the wider Government response to increase the number of residential places and improve capacity wit…

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann resolves that the Arts (Recognition of Comedy) (Amendment) Bill 2024 be deemed to be read a second time this day eighteen months, on the grounds that this amendment is premature as the Minister proposes to await the report of the Expert Advisory Committee on the Arts Council before giving conside…