Parliamentary questions

215. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to identify, by body name and associated skills gap, any skills gaps identified by the chairperson of that board in correspondence to his Department or a Minister in respect of the composition of the board of the body referred, for each year between 2020 and 2025, in tabular form; to identify any body wh…

216. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to confirm that for each year between 2020 and 2025 in respect of the boards of bodies under the aegis of his Department, at least one member of the audit and risk committee of that board has recent, relevant financial experience for each of those years; where that is not the case, to identify that body,…

217. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to confirm that for each year between 2020 and 2025 in respect of the boards of bodies under the aegis of his Department, that the board has a terms of reference; where that is not the case, to identify that body, by reference to year or years where no terms of reference existed; and if he will make a st…

218. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is aware of the solar panel scheme for medically vulnerable persons; if he understands that persons added to the medically vulnerable register after the cut-off date cannot apply for membership of the scheme; if he will provide details of any similar scheme that might be applicable for persons adde…

219. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to outline his ministerial brief; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12331/25]

220. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to list the functions, roles and services that were carried out and delivered by civil service or State agency workers; the cost to the State of each contract since the implementation of the Building Momentum public service agreement, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12440/25…

221. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications for an update on any improvements in speed of the national broadband roll out in Castletown Geoghegan. [12477/25]

222. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications who hosted and who attended the recent war room exercise reported as ‘Exercise Cathal’; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12590/25]

223. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the proposed 4% pension increase for members of the ESB defined benefit pension scheme, including whether the increase has been implemented; if not, the reasons for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12647/25]

224. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will engage with Electric Ireland on poor communication levels with businesses regarding power outage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12744/25]

225. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will engage with Uisce Éireann on poor communication levels with businesses regarding water outages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12745/25]

226. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the engagements he has had with EirGrid since September 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12825/25]

227. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to identify specific examples where artificial intelligence has been adapted for the operation of his Department and each body under the aegis of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12918/25]

182. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has engaged with stakeholders in relation to the situation whereby grid constraints from the excessive data centre demand are negatively impacting the connection of housing to the electricity network. [10348/25]

183. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide details of all of the weather modification methods, climate engineering or geoengineering, such as adding alkaline chemicals to the ocean, spraying salty mixtures into clouds and reflective particles into the stratosphere, that are taking place in or around Irish air space; and if he will make a …

184. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the Statutory Instruments he envisages being brought forward and signed by his Department during the first six months of 2025; to highlight in particular those concerned with the transposition and or implementation of further implementation of EU law requirements; those Statutory Instruments concerned…

185. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide an update on EU obligations for establishing separate textile waste collection and establish an extended producer responsibility scheme. [10346/25]

186. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications for an update on progress in fulfilling the obligations in article 12 of the Energy Efficiency Directive 2023/1791 regarding a database for data centres. [10347/25]

187. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his plans to reduce the three-year waiting time for the energy upgrades under the warmer homes scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10365/25]

188. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has met with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities to discuss rising energy prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10401/25]

189. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the measures in the Programme for Government to conduct an independent review of the speed and level of passthrough from wholesale prices to retail prices in the energy sector; when he anticipates this review will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10402/2…

190. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has met with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities to discuss rising wholesale gas and electricity prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10403/25]

191. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has considered reintroduction of the temporary solidarity contribution and the cap on market revenues in response to rising wholesale gas and retail prices in the energy market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10404/25]

192. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a breakdown of the number solar PV provided in each of the years from 2020 to date in each of the SEAI’s solar PV schemes, broken down by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10411/25]

193. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he plans to move to a plan-led approach to solar development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10417/25]