I am pleased to confirm that the 2025 funding round for the circular economy innovation grant scheme, CEIGS, was launched on 10 September. This scheme is a key driver of Ireland's transition to a circular economy supporting innovative projects led by social enterprises, voluntary and community organisations and small businesses. Since its launch in April 2021, we have awarded €1.8 million to 36 projects while tackling priority areas, such as food waste, plastics, single-use packaging, construction, textiles and general waste. These projects are delivering real impact from BladeBridge repurposing wind turbines blades into public infrastructure to Happy Earth developing a compostable alternative to medical plastics. From 2025, the scheme will again be administered in partnership with Community Foundation Ireland with €650,000 in total funding available. Individual grants will range from €40,000 to €50,000 enabling a broad range of organisations to scale their ideas and deliver measurable circular outcomes. Projects under this round are expected to focus on plastics, construction circularity, food waste prevention and critical raw material recovery. These are all aligned to Ireland's circular economy strategy and our climate action plan. This scheme is not just about funding; it is also about accelerating innovation, empowering communities and shining a spotlight on many of these scalable solutions so they can be replicated nationwide.

Sentiment score: 0.20

I am in full agreement that we need to continue to scale-up the scheme to sustain the investment by many SMEs and community organisations. That is why at the end of this year we will have allocated over €2.4 million. We need to continue on that trajectory of supporting many of these pioneering projects. I had the opportunity to visit the Irish Manufacturing Research facility in Mullingar to see the work of Circuléire. I have also been to the Rediscovery Centre. Tremendous work is being done, but the question is how we bring that to the next level. That is important because without funding and support, it is difficult. We want to deliver more ambition under this scheme. We look forward to many applicants putting forward their ideas. We have seen over 36 projects being supported last year. I hope we can ensure through a communications campaign that many areas across the country, including the Deputy's constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny, can be supported. I welcome any discussions on any projects brought to my attention.

Sentiment score: 0.21

I thank the Deputy for her interest in this area. It needs to be a bottom-up, top-down led approach. We are looking to publish the draft of the circular economy strategy. A key area of focus will be targeted actions. Local authorities can play a huge part within the local government system. However, we need a stronger uptake around innovation in these areas. We will have a public consultation. We will welcome feedback from businesses, SMEs and many of the social enterprise organisations on what they would like to see this scheme comprising of. We are focusing on textiles, construction and packaging as being key principles in this scheme in terms of areas of priority. We have a journey to go on this. I look forward to building more initiatives within the circular economy in many areas across business and local authorities.

Sentiment score: 0.23

The deposit return scheme was introduced in February 2024 to help Ireland to meet ambitious EU recycling targets and to encourage more sustainable consumer behaviour. I am pleased to report the scheme has made a strong start and is delivering on its core objectives. Re-turn, the not-for-profit operator, has seen the registration of 287 producers covering over 11,000 products and the installation of 2,750 reverse vending machines nationwide. These machines are now a familiar and effective part of recycling infrastructure, with financial support provided to small retailers to ensure widespread access. The scheme is having a very positive environmental impact, according to the Coastwatch annual marine litter survey. The lowest levels of bottle and can litter on Irish shores was recorded in over 25 years in 2024. Similarly, IBAL reported a 50% drop in litter from bottles and cans since the scheme launched. Beyond the environmental benefits, the DRS has enabled fundraising initiatives. The Return for Children campaign, developed with six major children’s charities, has raised over €215,000 to date, which is a powerful example of how circular economy initiatives can deliver social value alongside environmental gains. The DRS is a real and important element of circular economy measures and its early success reflects the strong collaboration between Government, producers, retailers and the community.

Sentiment score: 0.45

I reassure the House that the unredeemed deposits are a normal and expected feature of deposit return schemes internationally. As of the end of 2024, €320 million had been refunded to consumers with €66 million remaining unclaimed. This is not a failure. It reflects the early phases of the scheme but it also will naturally reduce as we move forward towards our EU targets of 90% redemption. Importantly, these funds do not sit idle. Re-turn itself is a not-for-profit organisation. They are being reinvested into the scheme. If we look at the 23% VAT liability, repaying initial start-up costs, expanding reverse vending machines, infrastructure, funding, educational campaigns and contributing to other contingency measures, the reinvestment is essential as part of the scheme. Will will see a reduction in that year on year. The Department is satisfied. It is under appropriate regulatory and administrative controls and we review it on annual basis.

Sentiment score: 0.12

The Deputy rightly asks the questions regarding the unredeemed deposits. I have outlined the reinvestment into the operational costs for setting up the DRS. I have also outlined-----

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-----that will see a reduction in those unredeemed deposits as we move forward with more campaigns and more informative education. We are also looking at expanding the DRS for municipal bulk machines to ensure people can come to municipal areas and to address that. Regarding the salaries, as I said earlier, Re-turn is a not-for-profit organisation. Individual salaries are not reported to the Department. Re-turn is required to publish its overall remuneration and benefits costs in its annual report and that was published last July. From our perspective, we are in continuous engagement with Re-turn, which operates the scheme, and we want to see continuous improvement in how it is being led.

Sentiment score: 0.25

I thank Deputy Whitmore. The warmer homes scheme, operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, on behalf of the Department, is really important in efforts to tackle energy poverty and improve the energy efficiency of homes for those most in need. It is fully funded through carbon tax receipts and the European Regional Development Fund. Last year saw a record spend of almost €230 million, resulting in 7,743 upgrades being provided to low-income households. This year, we have increased the budget to €280 million, allowing for deeper and more complex retrofits. The average cost of upgrades has risen from €2,600 in 2015 to over €29,000 in 2025, reflecting the scale and ambition of the programme. The scheme follows a fabric-first approach, prioritising installation and ventilation to reduce heat loss before replacing heating systems in line with building regulations and best practice. At present, solar PV is not offered as a standard upgrade under the scheme. However, the SEAI is piloting the installation of renewable technologies, including heat pumps and, in a small number of cases, solar PV where major renovations are taking place. These pilots are helping us assess the suitability of such technologies in the context of energy poverty and long-term value for money. The scope of upgrades under the scheme is kept under ongoing review and my Department continues to work closely with the SEAI to ensure we maximise the impact of every euro spent. The homes built before 2011 are eligible for part-funded solar PV grants under separate SEAI programmes. We remain committed to ensuring that low-income households benefit from Ireland's renewable energy transition and will continue to explore how best to integrate solar and other technologies into our energy poverty programmes.

Sentiment score: 0.30

I absolutely share the Deputy's concerns about the high energy bills. That is why we want to ensure that equity is at the heart of our energy transition. The warmer homes scheme is designed to deliver maximum bill savings per euro spent for those most in need. Many of these homes, it is often said, could be cold, damp and poorly insulated. Basic installation can cut energy costs by up to 30%. It is really important that the warmer homes scheme be continued. It has been a game-changer in energy reductions for many homes. On the other hand, solar PV itself without proper installation has only limited benefits because the home continues to leak heat. From our perspective, it does not mean solar PV is off the table. We are piloting solar in some cases and it is really important that this informs future decisions and how we move forward with this initiative.

Sentiment score: 0.29

I can confirm to the House that the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, has written to the energy suppliers and is preparing to meet them over the coming weeks in regard to the challenges around costs. This Government is very much focused on responding through the warmer homes scheme. This year, we have increased the level of funding to €280 million to fully fund upgrades for those who are most at risk and we are also looking at deep retrofits for transforming homes, reducing bills and improving health outcomes. This is on top of the measures to address the immediate affordability challenges, whereby we have extended the 9% VAT rate on energy. We have established the national energy affordability task force, which will bring forward measures before the budget. We are very much cognisant of the need to ensure we have a balanced approach to protecting households but also future-proofing them.

Sentiment score: 0.38

The Government is committed to continue delivery of the SEAI's residential and community energy upgrade scheme, which is central to achieving our national retrofit plan targets. This includes delivering more B2 home energy upgrades, revising and improving grants and financial models for homeowners, supporting group retrofits and area-based approach in enhancing energy efficiency to reduce the cost for households. In budget 2025 a record €550 million was allocated across the SEAI's home energy upgrade schemes, which was an increase on 2024 when €421 million supported 53,984 home upgrades. This includes both part-funded schemes and fully-funded upgrades at households at risk of energy poverty. For homeowners seeking a whole home upgrade to achieve a BER of B2 or better, the national home energy upgrade scheme is the primary route. This scheme is delivered through the SEAI's registered one-stop-shop model which manages the entire process for the homeowner. In 2025, €51 million was allocated, up from €45 million in 2024. Delivery is strong. Some 1,474 upgrades were completed in 2024 and 1,062 homes had been retrofitted at the end of August 2025. That is a 21% increase on the same period last year. At the start of the national homes energy upgrade scheme journey, homeowners undertook a home energy assessment which provides a detailed roadmap of the works and costs required for each to receive a rating of B2 or better. This empowers homeowners to make an informed decision on whether to proceed with a full upgrade or to choose individual measures under the SEAI schemes.

Sentiment score: 0.31

The SEAI has confirmed that it does not record applications that have been withdrawn. It only records them for homeowners who have agreed to proceed with the works through the one-stop shop. However, the SEAI has reported that over 3,500 homeowner efficiency assessments have been completed in 2025. That is the first step in the process. Approximately 44% of those have converted into grant applications under the SEAI. For homeowners who have received the home energy assessment, there are alternative upgrade pathways. I can provide the Deputy with information on the types of grants available. We have increased the amount of the grants from €3,500 to €6,500, with a €2,000 bonus. We have made significant investment in the scheme.

Sentiment score: 0.27

There has been strong demand. There were almost 70,000 applications in 2024. There have been over 40,000 so far this year. Through the national retrofit programme, we are seeing further capital funding under the national development plan. We will see an additional €264 million through the European regional development fund. Local authorities will also have an opportunity through their energy efficiency retrofit programme, which will be funded through the Department of housing. In total, a huge amount of work is being done to support this. We are driving forward to try to reach our national targets. That is underpinned by record levels of investment. As I said earlier, demand is very strong. We are increasing the grant amount on a continuous basis.

Sentiment score: 0.24