Parliamentary questions

389. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the basis on which his Department, or a body under its aegis, may fund the legal costs of an employee or former employee in litigation where that employee is in dispute with, or taking proceedings against, the same body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2033/26]

390. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether the funding of employee legal costs in disputes against his Department, or a body under its aegis, is standard practice; if not, the circumstances in which such funding may be permitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2051/26]

391. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to outline the guidance, codes, circulars or directions that govern the payment of legal costs by his Department, and bodies under its aegis, in employment-related disputes, including any requirements under the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies or Departmental sanction arrangements; and if he will…

392. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether the funding of employee legal costs in litigation against the employing body could give rise to governance, accountability, or value for money concerns; whether his Department has issued any guidance in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2087/26]

393. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether his Department has reviewed, or intends to review, the practice of Departments, and bodies under their aegis, funding legal costs in employment disputes involving those same bodies; and if so, the outcome or timeline for such a review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2105/26]

394. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether arrangements to fund legal costs in employment disputes involving his Department, or bodies under its aegis, require the prior approval of his Department or the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2123/26…

395. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the estimated cost of Ireland's participation in COP30, including travel and accommodation for the delegation. [2157/26]

396. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department is using artificial intelligence tools for any graphic design or similar work in place of artists, designers or videographers; and if so, to outline which projects or units of the Department are affected. [2241/26]

397. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether any agencies or other bodies under his remit are using artificial intelligence tools for any graphic design or similar work in place of artists, designers or videographers; and if so, to outline which projects or units of the organisation are affected. [2259/26]

398. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a list of the top ten capital or programme projects delivered by his Department or its agencies over the past three years that were completed on time and within the originally approved budget; the project name, location, delivery timeframe, original approved budget, final outturn cost and delivery bod…

399. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to detail the annual spend on external consultants by his Department and its agencies in each of the past three years; the number of consultancy contracts, the largest individual consultancy engagements by value and whether internal capacity-building or cost-benefit assessments were undertaken prior to engaging …

400. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a list, for each of the past three years, of the top ten projects per annum delivered by his Department or its agencies that were completed late and over the originally approved budget; the project name, location, original approved completion date, actual completion date, original approved budget, fin…

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]

101. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will direct the CRU to launch an investigation into price gouging by energy retailers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71566/25]

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]

103. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the action he will take to reduce energy demand and carbon emissions from data centres in view of our legal obligations to reduce both energy usage and carbon emissions; his views on whether the new CRU policy is compatible with those obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73592/25]

104. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the position regarding initiatives within his Department that seek to prioritise the fast tracking of offshore wind energy infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73598/25]

105. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide an update on capital investment allocations for electricity grid upgrades under the national development plan; and the way in which decisions support Ireland’s renewable energy targets and security of supply [69909/25]

106. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the number of rPET pellets produced in the State; the amount of this product utilised within the State and the amount exported. [72997/25]

107. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he or his Department plan to make changes to the warmer homes scheme to allow alternative sources of home heating for older homes that require extensive home energy upgrading work and whereby a heat pump might not be suitable; if he plans to extend the scheme to allow for more targeted home energy upgrades whe…

108. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he intends to implement a socially-just phase out action plan for the replacement of fossil fuels by sustainable energy sources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73018/25]

109. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the amount of Ireland’s energy that is now being generated by renewable sources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73268/25]

110. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the steps he is taking to make critical energy infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72818/25]

111. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the number of meetings he has held with ESB and other energy providers on energy costs to date in 2025. [71671/25]

112. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his plans to reform the home energy grants. [73000/25]