Questions

66. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the specific measures in place to address the upfront cost barrier for older persons seeking to install solar photovoltaic panels; whether options such as grant prepayment, pay-as-you-save models, or low-cost financing are under active consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32035/26]

67. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he has assessed the cohort of older homeowners who do not qualify for fully funded retrofit schemes but are unable to afford the upfront cost of solar panel installation; the estimated size of this cohort; if targeted supports are being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32036/26]

68. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether an assessment has been carried out on the adequacy of current solar photovoltaic grant levels for older persons on fixed incomes, having regard to installation costs; if any revisions to grant levels are under consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32037/26]

69. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if any review has been undertaken to identify barriers faced by older persons in accessing solar panel grants, including awareness, administrative requirements and financial constraints; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32039/26]

70. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if any forthcoming Statutory Instrument to transpose Article 12 of the Energy Efficiency Directive (2023/1791) will include the implementation and governance for real-time emissions reporting by Large Energy Users, as referenced in Action 12 of the Large Energy-user Action Plan (LEAP), or if separate primary legislation will be requi…

71. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the way in which waste-heat assessments for existing data centres over 1 MW, as required under Article 26(6) of the Energy Efficiency Directive 2023/1791, will be implemented in a manner that is efficient, proportionate and does not create unnecessary delays for investment or expansion; and which bodies will be responsible for this p…

72. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to clarify the reasons for the delayed commissioning date of the Celtic Interconnector, which is now expected for Q4 2028; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32054/26]

73. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if steps are being taken to bring forward the commissioning date of the Celtic Interconnector, which has been moved to Q4 2028, in order to apply downward pressure on wholesale electricity prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32055/26]

74. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a list of meetings he has held with the Climate Change Advisory Council; the topics that were discussed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32056/26]

75. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a list of the meetings of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy (TTE) configuration of the Council of the European Union which he has attended to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32057/26]

76. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a list of the meetings of the Environment (ENVI) configuration of Council of the European Union which he has attended to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32058/26]

77. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the current status of the Government's proposed Circularity Roadmap for the Construction Sector; when it is proposed to publish it; if it will set out regulations underpinned by primary legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32060/26]

78. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 347 of 21 April 2026, the way in which and where this engagement is taking place (details supplied); the way companies engaged in the manufacture of building materials with the use of mainly recycled components can engage with the authors and/or Government to feed into the preparation of the circu…

79. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment when his Department first became aware of concerns raised by the European Commission regarding the proposed design of the Renewable Heat Obligation; the steps taken at that stage to address these concerns prior to the issuing of the Commission's detailed opinion; whether any such issues have had an impact on the planned rollout timel…

80. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether consideration is being given to the inclusion of renewable liquid fuels, including hydrotreated vegetable oil, within a revised renewable heat obligation or any alternative support scheme; the measures being considered to ensure that households and businesses reliant on liquid fuels have access to practical and cost effective…

81. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the assessment that has been undertaken of the potential for domestic production of hydrotreated vegetable oil in Ireland; whether the Government is examining the way such production could be supported through energy policy measures, including proposed private wires legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32096/2…

82. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the analysis that has been carried out on the role of hydrotreated vegetable oil and other renewable liquid fuels as part of Ireland's overall heating and energy mix; whether blending or integration with existing fuel systems is under consideration; the regulatory or policy measures that are being considered to support their uptake; …

83. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 246 of 24 March 2026, when the information requested will be made available. [32163/26]

84. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the number of protected disclosures that have gone missing or have been compromised that have been submitted to his Department or State bodies that are responsible to his Department.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32282/26]

85. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the number of staff that are currently inactively employed by his Department or any organisation with responsibility to his Department. [32302/26]

86. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he is aware of the recent EPA-funded Noise Annoyance Mapping study on wind turbine noise (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32404/26]

87. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment when the Community Climate Action Fund allocations for 2026 will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32443/26]

88. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the estimated Exchequer cost of fuel related subsidies and energy support schemes introduced in 2025 and 2026 within his Department’s remit; to provide a comparison with the level of funding allocated over the same period to decarbonisation measures and fossil fuel phase out initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter.…

89. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his views on the ineligibility of homes built after 2021 for the SEAI grant (details supplied); the reason for this; if there are plans to amend the eligibility criteria in order that owners of homes built after this date can access the grant ensuring that energy and climate objectives are furthered and ensuring that the scheme…

90. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the current average processing time for traditional homes pilot applications once a full application has been submitted to SEAI; the number of applications currently awaiting assessment under the scheme; his plans to improve processing times; if there is a need for increased resources to deal with the number of applications under th…