Parliamentary questions

126. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the reason his Department departed from the Government's original implementation plan for the Accelerated Renewable Electricity Taskforce (ARET), and instead based the National Territory Renewable Energy Mapping policy on outdated County Development Plan wind energy maps; and the reasons for this change in ap…

127. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether he has assessed the impact of projected data centre demand on Ireland’s electricity grid and climate targets; the policy measures being considered to manage this demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59708/25]

128. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update regarding publishing of planning guidelines for biogas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60406/25]

129. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the measures being taken to address Ireland’s projected shortfall in meeting EU climate targets under the Effort Sharing Regulation; the potential financial implications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60391/25]

130. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department is currently reviewing ways to reduce the duplication of licensing applications needed to be attained to construct energy generating sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60390/25]

131. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the number of Government-owned buildings which have been retrofitted with solar panels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60217/25]

132. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he is aware of annual review recently published by the Climate Change Advisory Council (details supplied) that Ireland is not sufficiently resilient to extreme weather events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60262/25]

133. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the extent to which his Department is supporting innovation, research and invention in the realm of new forms of renewable energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60242/25]

134. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department has considered a policy around installing solar panels on all State buildings around the country; the status regarding the creation of this policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60443/25]

135. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the steps his Department is taking to ensure rural areas are protected by a resilient electricity network in the event of extreme weather; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60438/25]

136. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he has considered the use of aquaculture or seaweed farms within ORE projects, as has been done successfully alongside other ORE projects and may prove to be a commercially successful ancillary-use project. [59825/25]

137. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the measures implemented to date to strengthen critical infrastructure including energy supplies in view of the severe difficulties caused by power outages resulting from storms in 2024 and 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60439/25]

138. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will provide an update on the work of the Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce and the development of a policy framework to ensure a regional balance and distribution of renewable power; the funding allocated to the taskforce, and drawn down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60035…

139. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the options available through the better energy warmer homes scheme given the restrictions on coverage for new fossil fuel heating sources in place from earlier this year; if there are plans to examine alternative lower cost-effective heating sources in this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. …

140. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to report on the engagements he has had with Re-turn since the publication of its annual report; if he has discussed unclaimed deposits; if the €1.1 million compensation pack of five executives was discussed; his views on whether the CEO’s salary should be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60287…

141. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on the National Energy Affordability Taskforce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60477/25]

142. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the current balance of the circular economy fund, and the proposals his Department is bringing forward to use that fund to boost levels of recycling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60473/25]

143. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the €35 million penalty paid by a company (details supplied) after it pulled out of a wind farm project; and if any of this penalty will be invested into local communities in Connemara; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60456/25]

144. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his engagements with the European Commission on the EU’s ‘simplification’ process as it applies to the ETS2 directive and the Social Climate Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60498/25]

145. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on the actions taken under the programme for Government commitment to explore if legislation could be enacted to divert surplus renewable energy, that would otherwise be wasted, to homes in fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60497/25]

146. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on private wires policy; the timeline for delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60034/25]

147. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on legislation to amend the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 to allow for private wires; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60496/25]

150. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department has assessed the economic impact on domestic retailers arising from the non-compliance of overseas distance sellers with Irish environmental producer responsibility obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60580/25]

151. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the way in which his Department is engaging with enterprise agencies to attract investment into the emerging biomethane and anaerobic digestion sector. [60669/25]

152. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide an update on his engagement with Ireland's major energy providers, including the meeting held on 26 September 2025; to outline any outcomes or commitments arising from that discussion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59713/25]