Questions

225. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the steps he will take to ensure that the EU’s ‘simplification’ process as it applies to the ETS2 directive and social climate fund is conducted transparently and that the SCF will target vulnerable households explicitly, and not weaken the ETS2 directive obligations on member states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57…

151. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the way in which emergency market adjustment charges, which were introduced by energy companies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, were calculated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56144/25]

211. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the number of approvals for and drawdowns of the home energy upgrade scheme loan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51725/25]

218. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on the Government’s National Heat Policy Statement; when he expects that it will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51734/25]

219. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on the expansion of the definition of ‘vulnerable customers’ to include financially vulnerable customers as committed to in the previous Energy Poverty Action Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51735/25]

83. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he or his Department have been lobbied with regard to the promised increase in the quantity of oil and gas which is to be purchased from the United States of America by the European Union; the contribution that this State is expected to make towards such an increase, and-or the potential for related loosening of environmental and cl…

126. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will support legislation to enable the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities to give more specific directions in terms of mandatory emissions reduction and offsetting measures to large energy users like data centres, such as a requirement that they generate and are operated using localised, sustainable and renewable energy …

134. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if a separate renewable heat obligation rate was considered for the liquid fuels sector; the reason this was not advanced given those working in the sector claim they can reach a rate of 20% from year one rather than the current 1.5% rate that applies to all fuels in the home heating sector; and if he will make a statement on the matt…

140. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department has carried out a review of the level of performance of all public bodies with regards to their obligations under section 15 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015; to provide a report on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49308/25]

126. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if there are requirements for a regular review of the operations or scope of the deposit return scheme; if he plans to review the materials that are within the scope of the deposit return scheme; if so, when will the first review be conducted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48292/25]

111. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the reasons for the delay in transposing the Renewable Energy Directive III into national law, for which the European Commission has now launched infringement proceedings against Ireland; the steps he is taking to address this failure; if a detailed roadmap or legislative timeline for compliance with the Directive is now in place; and…

175. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if consideration will be given to changing regulations to allow household solar PV energy generation in the event of a power cut, provided a changeover switch is installed and thereby isolating the property from the grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41338/25]

221. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his priorities for Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39452/25]

222. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the way in which he plans to address the €3.3 billion environmental investment gap identified in the latest European Commission Environmental Implementation Review country report for Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39453/25]

223. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his response to the fact that Ireland’s waste recycling rates have not improved for the past five years and are at risk of missing 2025 recycling targets; the steps he is taking to remedy the situation; the way in which he plans to improve Ireland’s circular use of materials rate, which stood at 2.3% versus an EU average of 11.8% in 2…

224. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the timeline for the phase-out of incineration in our waste management system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39456/25]

225. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for a progress report on the implementation of Buying Greener: Green Public Procurement Strategy and Action Plan 2024-2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39457/25]

226. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on the implementation of the previous Government’s 2022 Policy Statement on Mineral Exploration and Mining; the items that remain outstanding; the steps he is taking to ensure their implementation by the end of the five year implementation period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39458/25]

227. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the steps he is taking to increase the construction and demolition waste materials recycling rate in Ireland, which stood at 39.7% in 2020 versus an EU average of 78.1%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39459/25]

228. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his views regarding the remunicipalisation of waste services in Ireland; if he has engaged with campaigners on the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39460/25]

171. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the annual emissions generated by all existing data centres currently operating in the State in each of the past ten years, in tabular form; the expected emissions to be generated in each of the next five years by the additional 14 data centres currently under construction and the 40 data centres which have received planning permissio…

172. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment how the 14 data centres currently under construction and the 40 data centres which have received planning permission in the State will be powered; the amount of energy and water that will be used on an annual basis by the 14 data centres currently under construction and 40 data centres which have received planning permission; whether …

197. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the steps his Department has taken to support the development of Ireland’s next Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) National Implementation Plan; and how stakeholders, particularly civil society organisations, are being engaged in its formulation. [35094/25]

198. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the means by which his Department is ensuring that the next SDG National Implementation Plan will reflect an integrated, whole-of-Government approach; and the mechanisms in place to coordinate actions across Departments, especially on cross-cutting goals. [35095/25]

212. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the actions he will take to future-proof Ireland's energy grid for extreme weather events, considering the EPA's National Climate Change Risk Assessment report identified a lack of storm resistance in the grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30749/25]