Wicklow — week of Mon, 8 Sept

Jennifer Whitmore — Social Democrats 0 votes · 58 questions · 10 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 58 total

Climate 16 questions
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment when the land use review will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46035/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will clarify recent statements he has made regarding progress on climate targets in light of the 2.9% increase in greenhouse gas emissions in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024, as reported recently by the EPA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46038/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to outline his proposed policy response to the recently reported 2.9% increase in greenhouse gas emissions in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46039/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if the 2.9% increase in greenhouse gas emissions in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024 as reported by the EPA recently renders Ireland at risk of non-compliance with the legally binding sectoral ceilings under the Climate Action Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46040/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he has engaged with or met the EPA following their recent report of a 2.9% increase in greenhouse gas emissions in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46041/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on his Department’s identification of opportunities for additional peatlands for enhanced rehabilitation, as committed to in the National Peatlands Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46043/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on his Department’s assessment of the contributing factors that led to three major peatland failures in 2020, as committed to in the National Peatlands Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46046/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on the scoping study report on mapping peat depth and carbon storage as committed to in the National Peatlands Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46047/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to outline how a State-led FSRU would be compliant with the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46048/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the timeline and cost for the development of the State-led strategic gas emergency reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46049/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment when his Department expects to finalise policy and legislation on the operation of a State-led strategic emergency gas reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46050/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide figures on the uptake of the low-cost loan scheme for 2025 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46051/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide updated figures on the installation of solar panels in homes, new and retrofitted, to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46052/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide updated figures on the homes retrofitted to B2 or above, with a year-by-year breakdown to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46053/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to outline the status of the Marine Protected Areas Legislation and whether a decision has been made to retain it as stand-alone legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46084/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will publish the work done by his Department to date on the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46085/25]
Housing 14 questions
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the assessment of the impact of the use of the Difco cutter in peatlands, as mentioned in the National Peatlands Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46042/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the restoration plan for 60 hectares of blanket bog in the Wicklow Mountains National Park; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46044/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will instruct his Department to prepare legislation to ban the sale of Cherry Laurel in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46054/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department undertakes studies on the damage done by Cherry Laurel to biodiversity and environment in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46055/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the feasibility study on the creation of a national peatlands-wetlands park as committed to in the National Peatlands Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46056/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the Programme for Government commitments regarding peatlands and maximising benefits for biodiversity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46057/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to clarify which environmental projects have been submitted by his department officials as part of the National Development Plan bidding process; the budget allocation for said projects; which of those projects are directly linked to the implementation of Ireland’s legal obligations under the EU Nature Restoration Law, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46058/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the dedicated funding the Government has allocated for the implementation of the Nature Restoration Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46059/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether work has begun on a specific action plan to deal with the pollution at Lady’s Island Lake, County Wexford; whether the Minister of State responsible for Biodiversity will lead on that programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46062/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the cross-Departmental discussions that have taken place in relation to Lady’s Island Lake, County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46063/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether any funding will be set aside in the upcoming budget to tackle the pollution at Lady’s Island Lake, County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46064/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide updated figures on the installation of heat pumps in new homes to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46069/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a hare conservation status survey is underway in his Department, as required under the Habitats Directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46071/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when his Department will publish the 2024-2025 hare conservation status survey, as required under the Habitats Directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46072/25]
Agriculture 12 questions
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the restoration plan for 40 hectares of blanket bog from coniferous forestry in Connemara Bog Complex SAC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46045/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for evidence from peatlands specialists and academics who support the continued use of the old definition of the Irish Peat Soil Map over the newly published and publicly funded map; if he will publish evidence of the level of acceptance from said specialists and academics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46073/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the specialists and academics he consulted in making the decision to continue using the old definition for the Irish Peat Soil Map rather than implementing the newly published one; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46074/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the National Peatlands Strategy commitment to undertake sphagnum moss cultivation trials, and the publication of said trials; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46075/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures that will be in place to ensure compliance of vessels of more than 18m in length with the 2,000-tonne sprat quota limit from October 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46076/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide the stock assessment data that was used by his Department to inform the incoming 2,000-tonne sprat quota limit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46077/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how he will ensure that there will be no overfishing of sprat by vessels under 18 metres; the monitoring mechanisms that will be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46078/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the proportion of sprat landed that is currently used as fish meal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46079/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the sprat fishing season begins; the reason October was chosen for the sprat quota introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46080/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will introduce a sprat quota limit for vessels under 18 metres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46081/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the civil society and interest groups he met in relation to the sprat quota limit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46082/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he considers that sprat fishery will be sustainable under the new rules in light of the fact that, in 2024, 7,500-tonnes of sprat were fished by vessels under 18-metres, while ICES have a recommended sprat quota limit of 2,250-tonnes for all vessels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46083/25]
Education 5 questions
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth to share the details of the school bus routes not operational for the start of the 2025-2026 school year on a county-by-county basis; the number of students impacted by those lacking services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46066/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the Department will pay the exceptional no service interim grant up front rather than retrospectively due to the financial impact on parents of the lacking school bus services at the start of this school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46067/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth when the bidding for school bus contracts closed for the 2025-2026 school year on a county-by-county basis, if applicable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46068/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the extension for a school (details supplied); when it is expected that approval will be granted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47153/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the extension for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47154/25]
Public Expenditure 4 questions
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the amount of the €3.15billion climate and nature fund that has been ringfenced for nature-specific projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46036/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation for a breakdown of where the €3.15billion climate and nature fund is going to be spent, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46037/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if funding has been allocated to Wicklow town courthouse under the NDP and the details of that allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47150/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to provide details of the works undertaken on Wicklow town court house in 2024 and to date in 2025; the works, if any, planned over the coming year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47151/25]
Transport 2 questions
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Transport the regulations in place that set the national standards for pedestrian crossings; if any of these standards could preclude the design of pedestrian crossings whereby crossings are painted in the pride colours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46834/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Transport the reason search and rescue crew members, who perform duties for a continuous 24-hour period, have their recorded working hours reduced to 16.5 hours; if this practice is consistent with national and EU legislation on working time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46835/25]
Justice 2 questions
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department plans to increase the courts service in county Wicklow to meet projected demand; whether these plans include the development of a new court building or the refurbishment/extension of existing court buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47148/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his plans for the vacant courthouse in Wicklow town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47149/25]
Health 2 questions
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health if the HSE treatment abroad scheme includes provision for the treatment of coccydynia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45286/25]
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health the reason a child (details supplied) was denied treatment under the treatment abroad scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46833/25]
Rural 1 question
- 2025-09-08 Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht for an update on the Programme for Government commitment to introduce permanent, rolling funding for the community centre investment fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46070/25]

New lobbying 10 returns

Pinergy Energy and Natural Resources
- Future of Electricity
Alcohol Action Ireland Health
- Alcohol health information labelling
Crosscare Children and Youth Affairs
- Crosscare staff and youth reps. met with 3 TDs on youth issues and on funding for youth work.
Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment - ACE Ireland Environment
- Correspondence with members of the Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy introducing ACE Ireland and highlighting their work to improve recycling processes and practices, and discussing the Programme for Government commitment to provide investment in sorting technology in Ireland’s MRF network.
Creative Retail Distribution Limited · 2 returns Taxation
- Support for Classification of HHC as a Schedule 1 Controlled Drug
- Email concerning the E-liquids Products Tax and concerns around the mechanism chosen to implement the tax via self-declaration rather than as a tax-stamp. Hale also referred to research commissioned from KPMG which raised several important policy considerations around the E-Liquids products tax including the potential for a surge in illicit and grey market sales.
The Alliance for Zero Carbon Heating · 3 returns Energy and Natural Resources · Budgetary matters
- To discuss the development of planned legislation to introduce a Renewable Heat Obligation Scheme (RHO)
- To inform stakeholders and members of the Oireachtas of TAZCH policy document communicating the importance of low carbon liquid fuels in planned legislation to indroduce a Renewable Heat Obligation Scheme (RHO)
- To communicate TAZCH pre-budget submission proposing the equalising of VAT on home heating oil, including HVO to the rate applied to gas
EDF Renewables Ireland Limited Energy and Natural Resources
- Public policy and legislation concerning renewable energy in Ireland

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