Parliamentary questions

314. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the reason a catch and release policy has been introduced on the Clare and Corrib Rivers in County Galway; if he will publish the full scientific basis for the proposed catch and release designation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1882/26]

315. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the opportunities anglers and angling bodies have to contribute to the decisions surrounding river and fish stock management before a proposed decision is made; if he has considered involving these angling groups in the initial stages of analysing river and fish stock status; and if he will make a statement on the …

316. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he is aware of an Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) survey conducted in 2025 which notes that salmon stocks on the Boyne and Kells Blackwater river has seen a catastrophic collapse, down to 10% of the conservation limit for the catchments; considering that salmon are a qualifying interest in the Boyne/Kells Blac…

317. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the supports available for a community group who missed the drawdown date of the Climate Action Fund due to a lack of contractors willing to complete the works and whether this can be extended.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73929/25]

318. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 99 of 10 December 2025, the role which IFI are playing in the independent EU Joint Research Committee investigation into the Blackwater Fishkill; when did it begin, specifically the date; the other State agencies which are involved; the details he is aware of in relation to the…

319. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a list of AI pilot projects which have taken place in his Department within the past 12 months; the expenditure associated with those projects; and whether they are still ongoing, in tabular form. [74128/25]

320. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his plans for the introduction of statutory requirements obliging landowners to clear and maintain certain voltage-specific corridors for overhead electric lines (details supplied); and the timeline for this legislation. [74152/25]

321. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if an application to the Climate Action Fund (details supplied) will be approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74195/25]

322. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the reasons a catch and release policy has been introduced on the Owenea river, County Donegal; the reason the Loughros More estuary, County Donegal has been closed for fishing in 2026; if he has considered the assertions from the local community that the Owenea river and the Owentocker river both have hig…

323. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the engagement between his Department and EnergyCloud Ireland in relation to the use of surplus renewable electricity that would otherwise be curtailed to provide free hot water to households experiencing energy poverty; the details of any policy, regulatory or funding supports in place or under consideration to s…

324. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the way in which his Department is engaging with the EnergyCloud Ireland initiative, including the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council pilot, as a measure to reduce household energy poverty; if his Department has assessed the typical savings to participating households, the proportion of participating households…

325. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the oversight arrangements and performance indicators that apply to the CRU, including any agreed targets for compliance activity, enforcement outcomes, complaint-handling timelines and customer protection measures; if any value-for-money review, performance review or governance review of the CRU has been complete…

326. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether standards or service-level targets exist for his Department or bodies under the aegis of his Department in responding to correspondence from members of local authorities; if compliance with such standards is monitored; the reasons for delays or failures to respond to correspondence from elected members; and…

327. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his views on whether the development of marine protection areas should be based on the principle of co-creation whereby all relevant stakeholders are involved in the designation process from the earliest possible stage, as recommended by the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage in thei…

328. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will reopen the grant for replacement of oil tanks and boilers that closed in August 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74429/25]

329. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the office rental costs per annum for staff in his Department and for each agency or organisation under his remit, in each of the years between 2015 and 2025 inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74443/25]

330. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the way in which the decision was reached for fishing on the Blackwater making it catch & release for 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74461/25]

331. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department will be able to compensate a club (details supplied) for the losses they will incur by making fishing on the Blackwater catch & release for 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74462/25]

332. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to consider a buyout of all draft nets on the Blackwater and country wide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74463/25]

333. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment regarding the published electro fishing numbers for fry, if he will confirm whether this is based on five year statistics. [74464/25]

334. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he plans to introduce a new policy statement on the importation of fracked gas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74471/25]

335. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the position regarding the construction of offshore windfarms, whether built, in the course of being built, or planned; the criteria attached to having a successful planning permission (distance from shore, visibility, etc); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74481/25]

336. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his plans to introduce secondary legislation to implement scale of fees, capping the costs of environmental planning judicial reviews as per part 9 of the Planning and Development Act 2024; if these regulations have been prepared in draft form; the level and degree of consultation with the Minister for Justice, …

337. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the number of applications refused under the warmer homes scheme in 2024 and 2025, respectively; the percentage of applications refused in 2024 and 2025, respectively; the reasons for these refusals, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74565/25]

338. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the reason Inland Fisheries Ireland has commenced selling 2026 salmon licences online and through distributors without providing anglers with the regulations booklet required under Section 69 of the Inland Fisheries Act 2010; and if he will confirm whether this constitutes administrative non compliance with statuto…