Questions asked 48 total

• Environment 19 questions

  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the estimated cost of the re-municipalisation of waste services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27723/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is aware that the SEAI's database of BER ratings and the CSO's database on household incomes are entirely separate and not used together due, possibly, to GDPR considerations, and that this significantly limits analyses of energy poverty in Ireland (details supplied); if he has plans to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27805/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the date on which a public consultation on the use of direct lines and private wires will be launched; if he will provide an update on the development of the consultation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27819/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the measures he is taking to address the barriers to hybrid connections to facilitate wind, solar and battery technology on the same site for example; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27820/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the date on which the green hydrogen strategy will be published; if he will provide an update on its development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27821/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications in the wake of ORESS 1 and in advance of ORESS 2, if consideration is being given to an auction process which assesses projects not solely based on price but on other factors such as track-record, readiness of project, planning approvals and so on; what the benefits of either approach are; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27822/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of smart electricity meters installed; the geographic distribution of the smart meters installed; and the amount of funding that has been spent on the installation of smart meters. [27836/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of smart heating controls grants awarded in 2022 and Q1 2023; the geographic spread, per local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27840/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the funding allocated for smart heating controls grants in 2022; and how much of this was drawn down in 2022. [27841/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the funding allocated for smart heating controls grants in 2023; and how much of this has been drawn down to date in 2023. [27842/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which policies to achieve 2030 climate goals have been tested in order to create behavioural change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28054/23]
  • 2023-06-15 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the action he is taking to ensure savings on the wholesale price of electricity are passed on to customers; the reason that savings have not been passed on to date; the dates on which he has met with energy providers to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28912/23]
  • 2023-06-15 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the Government’s energy security review and, separately, the review by a person (details supplied); when he expects both to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28919/23]
  • 2023-06-15 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications what, if any, assessments have been made by the Government regarding the best way to implement a windfall tax here in order to capture excess revenues in the energy sector in the year 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28914/23]
  • 2023-06-15 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications what additional measures are being taken by the Government to ensure our grid has the capacity to accommodate the required increase in connections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28915/23]
  • 2023-06-15 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will detail the extent to which the mandate and resourcing of the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities provides for an assessment of the hedging practices of energy companies and, separately, investigation of price gouging and prosecution of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28918/23]
  • 2023-06-15 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications what assessments, if any, the Government have made concerning the remunicipalisation of waste and the various models that are available and operating successfully in other European countries, in particular the ‘franchise’ model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28917/23]
  • 2023-06-15 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he plans to review the application of the PSO levy given the disproportionate burden it currently places on households, in particular low-income households; if alternative funding models, including direct state investment have been considered to support renewable projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28916/23]
  • 2023-06-15 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to outline the considerations to be made by local authorities when deciding on whether or not to re-municipalise waste collection services; if legislative or regulatory barriers prevent local authorities from re-municipalising waste collection services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23491/23]
• Housing 17 questions

  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many ecologists are currently employed in An Bord Pleanála; and the cost per year per post, in tabular form. [27694/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many marine biologists are currently employed in An Bord Pleanála; and the cost per year per post, in tabular form. [27695/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the workforce plan for An Bord Pleanála, the current staffing levels; and the cost per year per post, in tabular form. [27696/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the workforce plan for An Bord Pleanála; how many ecologists are currently employed; if there are forthcoming plans to recruit more; and the cost per year per post. [27697/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the workforce plan for An Bord Pleanála; how many marine biologists are currently employed; if there are forthcoming plans to recruit more; and the cost per year per post. [27698/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the workforce plan for An Bord Pleanála; how many ornithologists are currently employed; if there are forthcoming plans to recruit more; and the cost per year per post. [27699/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the workforce plan for An Bord Pleanála; how many hydrologists are currently employed; if there are forthcoming plans to recruit more; and the cost per year per post. [27700/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the workforce plan for the marine and climate unit; the current staffing levels; and the cost per year per post, in tabular form. [27701/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the workforce plan for the maritime area regulatory authority; the current staffing levels per specialism; and the cost per post per year, in tabular form. [27707/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost of establishing a marine biodiversity national coordination body as recommended by the Citizen's Assembly on biodiversity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27777/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of local authorities that have undertaken hedgerow surveys; if targeted funding is available to councils to undertake this work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27824/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the cost of establishing the working group to examine defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage report Safe as Houses, and to assist owners of latent defect properties by identifying options for those impacted by defects, to access low-cost, long-term finance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28029/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the full cost, current cost and capital cost to establish the registration and inspection scheme 2012 for the domestic wastewater treatment system; and the full cost, current cost and capital cost in 2022, in tabular form. [28031/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of ecologists, marine biologists and ornithologists to be employed at the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority; if there are any plans to recruit more; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28066/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total spend on consulting services and on business-as-usual outsourcing at the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority as differentiated under the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies 2016 under the aegis of his Department, broken down by contract and purpose of contract in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28067/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of ecologists, marine biologists and ornithologists employed in An Bord Pleanála; if there are any plans to recruit more; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28068/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total spend on consulting services and on business-as-usual outsourcing at An Bord Pleanála as differentiated under the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies 2016 under the aegis of his Department, broken down by contract and purpose of contract in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28069/23]
• Transport 6 questions

  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the extent to which active travel policies have been tested to create behavioural change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28053/23]
  • 2023-06-15 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport how many local authorities have published active travel plans to date. [28899/23]
  • 2023-06-15 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport which local authorities have published active travel plans to date. [28900/23]
  • 2023-06-15 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport which local authorities have drawn down funding to establish active travel teams. [28901/23]
  • 2023-06-15 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport which local authorities have active travel teams in place. [28902/23]
  • 2023-06-15 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport how much of the active fund has been drawn down by local authorities overall, in 2022 and then in Q1 2023, in tabular form. [28970/23]
• Agriculture 4 questions

  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding provided to the BRIDE project in 2022; the amount allocated for 2023; and if he plans to extend this funding beyond 2023. [27755/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding allocated to Coillte in 2022 and 2023; the staffing levels for WTE and PTE staff; and the staffing costs in 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [27779/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications for environmental impact assessment screening for boundary removals that have been received; the number of screening applications approved; the corresponding length of hedgerows approved for removal in each of the years from 2010 to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27825/23]
  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cost of establishing the Teagasc signpost advisory programme; the staffing levels and workforce plan of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27983/23]
• Education 1 question

  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education when a decision will be made in relation to the 1/2A submission to build an ASD unit in a school (details supplied) in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27641/23]
• Health 1 question

  • 2023-06-13 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the steps, if any, currently being undertaken to reduce the HSE general anaesthesia waiting list for children, which is currently at 12 to 18 months within the Louth-Meath dental service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28166/23]