John Gormley

 89. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the lack of consistency between planning authorities on the question of whether solar panels require planning permission is hindering uptake of the technology and if he will consider issuing planning guidelines setting out the conditions in which the installation of solar panels is exempt from planning permission. [22580/06] (more…)

126. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Irish Rural Link has called for the establishment of an Energy Commission that will examine the use of farm land as a means of meeting Ireland’s renewable energy commitments; and if he intends to raise this issue with the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. [18169/06]
  

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Éamon Ó Cuív): I am aware that Irish Rural Link has called for the establishment of an Energy Commission.  However, I understand that an Energy Commission already exists.  It is known as the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), and is an independent body under paragraph 9 in the Schedule to the Electricity Regulation Act 1999.
  In this context, the Deputy will appreciate that matters relating to the production of renewable energy fall within the remit of my colleague, Noel Dempsey T.D., Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, while the use of farm land is within the remit of my colleague, Mary Coughlan T.D., Minister for Agriculture and Food.

75. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the advice he had received from the Western Development Commission, that development of gas processing at Rossport, County Mayo would mean many towns in the west, particularly in Mayo, would be connected to the gas network. [18170/06] (more…)

This morning I attended the Star of the Sea Boys National School, Sandymount, Science and Engineering Display. The boys had put a lot of work into the project. All credit to them, Una Condon, the principal, and the teachers. Afterwards I chatted to the teachers in the tea-room about the state of the electoral register.

On Saturday last (6th May) I met Felipe Arreaga Sanchez and Patricia Cervantes at a meeting organised by Amnesty International at the Dublin Food Co-op. I promised to raise their issues in the Dáil.

Yesterday (7th May) I met Kevin Humphreys in the morning in Ringsend Park to discuss Dublin City Council proposals for the redevelopment of the park. I took the afternoon off; went to Dalkey for a walk; took the kids for a swim in Marion pool at around 5.

Back to today. I issued 2 releases one in relation to the new ‘green’ ministerial cars, the other on Michael McDowell’s anti-inicineration leaflet. I spoke to Ruairi Quinn about the latter at lunch time. We both agree that Michael Mc has a brass neck. Do some people actually fall for this guff? The government - he’s a member of it - gave the go-ahead for a public-private partnership for a mass burn incinerator on the Poolbeg peninsula before Christmas. He now says he’s opposed to it, as he did at election time. His leaflet is full of typos and misinformation. I will respond. This sort of cute hoor politics gets my goat.

I spent this afternoon dealing with housing cases.

In relation to the new green ministerial transport, Dick Roche and Noel Dempsey are now in the same league as David Cameron - having their cake and greening it. Cameron is poser. He cycles to work but has his minions transport his clothes and papers to Westminister in a car. Were are the CO₂ savings there?

Given that we’re now about 12 months from the General Election I thought it would be an appropriate time to start a blog. I don’t have a huge amount of time so the entries will be fairly sporadic.

I attended Terenure Residents Association last night - the only TD from Dublin South East to do so. Gay Mitchell and Michael Mulcahy were there from Dublin South Central plus a good representation of councillors and approximately 40 residents - Michael Mulcahy had done a head count. While the Gardaí gave a report about local crime, Michael - with whom I often discuss elections - bet me that Michael McDowell would top the poll in Dublin South East with a surplus of 2,000 votes! I took the bet immediately, which is for a magnum of champagne, if you don’t mind.

The problems raised by residents include litter, traffic, the proposed skateboard park - a discussion which became very heated - and the development plan for Terenure village.

I missed Eamon (Ryan) on Prime Time but saw it on the Net this morning. He was debating with Dr Ed Walsh about the question of nuclear power. Ed Walsh came across as pompous and arrogant. At the end he even asked Eamon was he ’scientifically literate’! Eamon won hands down. The point is, of course, that the Green Party arguments opposing nuclear power in Ireland are based totally on scientific findings.

Bertie says publicly that he’s opposed to nuclear power, but his speech to the Engineers Ireland conference yesterday was equivocal. He’s clearly under pressure from certain quarters to leave the door open for nuclear power.

  37. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the proposals which exist for increasing the number of certified installers of renewable heat systems that qualify for the new domestic renewable energy grants; and the reason the support measures for solar panels under this scheme are based on the size of the panels rather than on their relative efficiency standards. [13749/06]
 
   Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. Browne): The domestic grants scheme is being rolled out on behalf of the Department by Sustainable Energy Ireland, SEI.  The availability of trained and certified installers is an important element of the quality assurance mechanism and the grant scheme in general.  SEI is facilitating consumers by maintaining a list of installers who qualify for use under the scheme.
  Actions to increase this number in the near term include running an advertisement in the national daily newspapers on 3 April 2006 and in industry-specific publications thereafter.  SEI and Action Renewables, Northern Ireland, are currently involved in a North-South INTERREG funded initiative, which is providing for the development and delivery of renewable energy installer training courses in the INTERREG region.  The first training courses under the programme are already under way and this will provide a platform in the longer term to support the development of a national training and certification infrastructure.
  The level of grant aid for the programme reflects a strong Government commitment to encourage people to install renewable heat technology in their homes.  The mechanism for supporting solar systems in particular recognises that the level of water or space heating that can be achieved in any home is directly related to the size or number of panels installed.

  Mr. Gormley: I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to discuss an issue of urgent public importance, namely, the need for the Taoiseach to state his intention to amend the seventh Schedule to the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill in order to exclude nuclear power stations from the list of proposed energy infrastructure.
 
   Mr. Sargent: The Government has two opportunities.
 
   An Ceann Comhairle: Having considered the matters raised, they are not in order under Standing Order 31.

156. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when the announcement of the multi-annual domestic energy package to support renewable energy as allocated by the Department of Finance can be expected; if he intends including domestic level wind energy turbines within the forthcoming package. [6747/06] (more…)

 77. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the measures he intends taking to ensure compliance with the proposed new European energy efficiency directive which will set a targeted 20% increase in energy efficiency by 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6748/06]
 
   Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. N. Dempsey): I propose to take Questions Nos. 77, 105 and 153 together.
  The proposed directive on energy efficiency and energy services sets national indicative targets for energy saving and requires member states to produce energy efficiency action plans from 2007.  The target is to save an annual quantity of energy equal to 1% of the quantity of energy supplied and-or sold to end customers, amounting to a 9% improvement in energy efficiency over the nine year period of application.  We will meet this target through the accelerated development and promotion of targeted energy efficiency measures building on the programmes already successfully run by Sustainable Energy Ireland.
  The Commission’s Green Paper on energy efficiency sets a target of 20% increase in energy efficiency by 2020.  The consultation phase of the Green Paper will conclude next month.  Ireland fully supports the thrust of the Green Paper and I would not disagree with its conclusion that 20% energy efficiency target is both necessary and achievable for the EU.
  In the context of the EU initiatives and our own national energy policy challenges, energy efficiency is a key strategic priority for me and the Government.  I have mandated my Department and SEI to accelerate work in this area.  In particular, work is underway to develop a comprehensive national energy efficiency campaign for 2006 and forward years which I will launch in the autumn.

166. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the innovative grant schemes he intends introducing relating to biofuels, combined heat and power, biomass commercial heaters, and domestic renewable heat grants in budget 2006; and the amount of money which will be available for such schemes in 2006. [2189/06]
 
   Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. N. Dempsey): I am strongly committed to increasing the market penetration of renewable energy and the measures announced in budget 2006 are designed to complement and build on initiatives already in place in the renewable electricity, transport and heat sectors.  The multi-annual financial package includes a five-year biofuels excise relief package worth €205 million and funding for renewable energy schemes totalling €65 million up to 2010.
  The renewables package will support development in four critical areas as follows: biofuels - an excise relief package for biofuels coasting €205 million over five years, together with funding to support the development of indigenous biofuel plant; biomass - a grant scheme for wood chip and wood pellet boilers, aimed at the business, commercial and service sectors; grants for householders - a grant aid package for the domestic sector, which will provide for individual grants to install renewable energy technologies including wood pellet boilers, solar panels and geothermal heat pumps; combined heat and power - a grant aid package to incentivise the installation of combined heat and power in the industrial, commercial and public services sector.  The level of funding to be committed to these schemes in 2006 and annually up to 2010 will be finalised in the coming weeks.