Climate Action Fund support will bring industry to the next step; this early-phase investment will underpin the future development of district heating networks
 
Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien has approved the allocation of €5 million to support pre-construction development costs for efficient district heating projects in Ireland. The funding will come from the Climate Action Fund (CAF).
 
Government policy supports the expansion of district heating in Ireland, contributing to the diversification of fuel supply and decarbonisation of the heat sector. Deployment of district heating at scale, particularly in densely populated areas with readymade heat sources located nearby, is a key Government objective under the Climate Action Plan. It is also a key component in meeting the ‘Built Environment’ Sectoral Emissions Ceiling.
 
The State has financially supported the development of district heat networks in Ireland through the CAF. For example, there is a relatively large-scale scheme operational in Ireland, which was developed by South Dublin County Council (SDCC) in Tallaght, supported by the CAF. In addition, Dublin City Council is working to develop a large project that will use waste heat from the Dublin waste-to-energy facility in Poolbeg to heat public sector, commercial and residential buildings, initially in the adjacent area with plans to progressively expand into Dublin city.
 
District Heating Steering Group
 
In line with the Government’s District Heating Steering Group Report recommendation to provide financial support for district heating, the Minister is also seeking a multi-annual financial allocation – to enable the construction of efficient district heating projects over the period 2026 to 2030. As part of this process, and in line with the Infrastructure Guidelines, the Department – in partnership with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland's District Heating Centre of Excellence – is preparing a business case seeking to establish future State funding (2026-2030) to support efficient district heating projects in suitable locations, usually urban areas with high heat density.
 
Support for the pre-construction development costs for efficient district heating projects is being introduced, to ensure efficient district heating projects are in position to avail of this future funding. It was critical that this funding was put in place to encourage a significant number of efficient district heating projects to be ‘shovel ready’ once future funds are available.
 
Minister O’Brien said:
 
“I am delighted to be able to announce the allocation of €5 million to support the pre-construction development costs of efficient district heating projects in Ireland. District heating will be a pivotal technology to help Ireland reach its climate ambitions, while also improving our energy security and affordability. This is evident through the success of the existing district heat scheme in Tallaght.
 
“I have seen an appetite in this industry to start developing projects immediately.
 
“This announcement will help industry to make the next step. When the pre-construction development fund is open, I encourage all potential efficient district heating project sponsors to apply. My Department will collaborate with the SEAI District Heating Centre of Excellence to develop this fund and make this allocation available as soon as possible. With a strong pipeline of projects ready to progress, funding this element now will set the district heating industry up for success, once the future state fund is in place to support the full construction of efficient district heating projects.
 
Fund availability
 
This fund will be open to both private and public authorities who want to advance efficient district heating in Ireland. It is envisaged that this funding can be used to support pre construction development costs. However, this allocation is intended to also support projects which have already started some of their development work.
 
The Government recognise that investing now in the early phase infrastructure will deliver key backbone elements for district heating networks that will decarbonise heat for larger anchor customers within this decade, and can be further leveraged, through future investment, to target smaller heat loads in the medium-to-longer term.
 
ENDS

Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien has welcomed the final decision on the nighttime use of runways at Dublin Airport, published on 17 July by An Coimisiún Pleanála.
Minister O’Brien said:
“I welcome the clarity this decision brings to permitted levels of nighttime air traffic operations at Dublin Airport. Maximising connectivity to and from Ireland is one of my priorities and one of the key commitments in the Programme for Government. 
Having met with local residents I am also very aware of their concerns. It is important that daa continue to act as a ‘good neighbour’ by engaging with neighbouring communities, particularly in relation to the noise insulation scheme and other matters of concern. 
This decision should enable daa to progress the planning applications which have been submitted to Fingal County Council. I encourage them to now move to respond to the requests for further information from the relevant authorities. This will facilitate the planning decisions necessary for sustainable development of the airport.”
Notes:
An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) set out conditions in the Decision which provide for:  

• a noise quota system for nighttime operations at the airport 
• an annual limit of 35,672 aircraft movements between 11pm and 7am – in effect, an average of 98 aircraft movements a night
• No use of the new north runway between midnight and 6am, except in exceptional specified circumstances
• An insulation scheme for eligible property owners.  

The decision of ACP provides an essential safeguard against excessive nighttime activity while allowing for airport growth. It also accommodates historic slots and future flexibility, ensuring that the regulatory framework remains balanced and proportionate.

• The Plan sets out 12 Primary Actions with the potential to have a transformative impact on road safety. These are supplemented by a further 77 support actions.
• This Action Plan builds on the Phase 1 Action Plan and will be implemented collaboratively by partners working across the sector.

 
Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien, Minister of State with responsibility for Road Safety, Seán Canney, and Minister of State with responsibility for Rural Transport, Jerry Buttimer, have published the Phase 2 Action Plan of the Government’s Road Safety Strategy. The Action Plan will run from 2025 to 2027. 
The Phase 2 Action Plan represents the next stage in implementation of the Government’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030, which is the current national framework for road safety. This Strategy was launched in December 2021.
The primary aim of the Strategy is to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads by 50% this decade and to work towards the achievement of Vision Zero—as close as possible to no deaths or serious injuries on Irish roads—by 2050.
The Phase 2 Action Plan focuses on the delivery of 12 primary actions that have the potential for truly transformative impacts. These primary actions require collaboration across all road safety partners. The actions are supplemented by 77 supporting actions, many of which will also bring substantial road safety benefits.
These primary actions include:

• Continued investment in safe, sustainable transport
• The rollout of safer default speed limits
• Improved data sharing
• Camera-based enforcement and other technology advancements 5
• The development and delivery of an integrated programme of road safety education across a person’s life.

 
The Phase 2 Action Plan follows the Safe System approach, which is viewed as best practice globally in the delivery of road safety strategies. The Safe System approach emphasises the shared responsibility among those who design, build, manage and use the roads and vehicles to prevent or reduce collision impacts; and those who provide post-crash response to mitigate injury.
Speaking today, Minister O’Brien said:
“I am pleased to publish the Phase 2 Action Plan of the Road Safety Strategy, which delivers on the Government’s continuing commitment to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on our roads. As we are all painfully aware, there has been an increase in road deaths since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, through the work of stakeholders from across the sector, the numbers have been slowly improving since 2023 and it is important that we sustain and accelerate this progress. This Plan sets out how we will achieve this and, at its centre, includes 12 actions that we believe can have a potentially transformative impact on road safety in this country in the coming years.”
Minister Canney said:
“I welcome the publication of Phase 2 of our Road Safety Strategy and I look forward to regularly engaging with stakeholders from across the road safety sector on its implementation. I share the view of the Garda Commissioner that we need a road safety reset in this country and I am confident this Action Plan provides a framework through which we can achieve our road safety goals and reduce the number of fatalities on our roads. Every road fatality is one too many, and a tragedy for families and communities across the country. It is incumbent on all of us to do all we can to prevent such tragedies.”
Minister Buttimer said:          
“This Action Plan sets out clearly that improving road safety is a matter of concern and responsibility for us all. As Minister with responsibility for Rural Transport I am highly aware of the communities that have been blighted by the tragedy of road deaths and collisions, and I look forward to working with all stakeholders to make roads safer for all users.”           
The Department of Transport and the Road Safety Authority worked closely with a range of road safety stakeholders, including other Government Departments and State agencies, to formulate the Action Plan. Speaking on behalf of the Justice Sector, Minister O’Callaghan said:
“Road safety is a shared responsibility and one which this Government takes very seriously. We must take the necessary actions that together can improve driver behaviour and ultimately save lives on our roads.
“Ongoing enforcement of road safety laws by An Garda Síochána, the use of improved technology and the continued enhancement of the network of mobile, static and average speed cameras are important aspects of the Road Safety Strategy. They work together with other actions in this strategy to improve road design, driver behaviour and education, severity of penalties, and speed limits. 
“I welcome the launch of this next phase of the Road Safety Strategy. While challenges remain, working collaboratively, we can sustain the progress recently evidenced and significantly reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads. As always, I would urge everyone to slow down, pay attention and help us all travel safely.”
To support the development of the Action Plan, the Department of Transport established the Road User Safety Forum in September 2024. It comprises road safety advocates and experts representing a range of interests and perspectives. The forum initially served as a consultative body for the Phase 2 Action Plan, contributing valuable insights to the final plan, and it will now continue its work for the duration of Phase 2 to provide feedback and advice on its implementation.
The Phase 2 Action Plan can be viewed here: Road Safety Strategy: Phase 2 Action Plan 2025-2027.

New policy marks a significant reform of the rules on electricity infrastructure
 
Minister O’Brien has today (Tuesday, 15 July) secured Government approval for a new policy on ‘Private Wires’. This is a significant reform of the rules on electricity infrastructure which will unlock private sector investment in electricity infrastructure, particularly renewable generation and storage. It will also facilitate the provision of low-cost charging solutions for Electric Vehicles and expand opportunities for self-supply of electricity.
 
At present only ESB Networks can own a line that brings electricity from a generator to an electricity customer. Following an extensive consultation exercise with industry stakeholders the government has decided that in future private investors will be able to build and own such line in the following circumstances:
 

• A direct connection between a generator, for example a wind farm or solar farm, and an electricity customer, perhaps a factory that wants to decarbonise. There are situations where this is quicker and more efficient than having both parties connect to the Grid;
• A wind farm or solar farm owned by one company will be able to share a grid connection with another generator or a battery installation owned by another firm. Previously this could have breached the rules prohibiting private lines;
• Private lines will be allowed where they are the solution to allow on street charging of Electric Vehicles; and
• To allow a firm that self-supplies electricity to provide electricity to neighbouring customer where the line does not have to cross land owned by a third party.

 
Minister O’Brien said:
 
“This is a very significant reform of the rules on electricity infrastructure. I, and officials in the Department, are now focused on the next steps – to implement this policy. Primary legislation – to amend the Electricity Regulation Act allowing for Private Wires – will be enacted. I will bring the General Scheme of this legislation to Government in the autumn. Supporting regulations – to define standards and processes for granting permission for Private Wires – will be adopted. I will ensure that the Commission for Regulation of Utilities [CRU] is resourced – to take on this significant new area of regulation.
 
“My Department [of Climate, Energy and the Environment] will continue to monitor industry developments – around the emerging concept of green energy parks to identify any future need for further liberalisation.”
 
This reform follows on from a consultation process on Private Wires. A total of 128 responses were received form a wide range of individuals and groups. In July 2024, the Department published a summary report of the results of the consultation exercise.
 
In parallel with the publication of the consultation results in July 2024, Government approved a set of guiding principles for the development of the final Private Wires Policy. The statement on guiding principles set out that the new Private Wires Policy will aim to unlock private sector resources to build new electricity infrastructure by expanding the right of private undertakings to connect supply directly with demand.

Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O’Brien TD, has today (9 July, 2025) welcomed the decision by the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) to grant Fingal County Council a Maritime Area Consent (MAC) in respect of proposed works to deliver permanent coastal protection measures at Portrane, Co. Dublin.
 
Welcoming the decision, Minister O’Brien said:
“This is a very important step forward for this vital project. The coastal erosion challenges at Portrane have been well documented, and it is essential that we progress sustainable, long-term solutions to protect this vulnerable community and its coastline. The granting of a Maritime Area Consent is a significant milestone that enables Fingal County Council to bring this proposal to the next stage.”
 
The Maritime Area Consent (MAC) provides a gateway into the planning system and confers a right on the Fingal County Council to occupy a part of the maritime area, conditional on securing other necessary approvals which in this case would involve An Coimisiún Pleanála approval of the planned works.
 
The Minister stated that “it’s important to remember that the planning process still needs to be gone through, and that process must be respected. Public consultation and careful consideration of environmental and community impacts will be key elements of that process. I have every confidence that Fingal County Council will engage constructively and transparently as the project moves forward.”
 
The proposed permanent coastal protection measures at Portrane are intended to provide a sustainable response to the serious coastal erosion that has affected the area in recent years,
threatening homes and public infrastructure.

Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien and Minister of State with responsibility for Road Safety, Séan Canney, have welcomed a reduction of eleven weeks in the waiting time for a driving test. The average waiting time across the country now stands at just over 16 weeks, down from 27 weeks at the end of April.
On 1 May Minister Canney instructed the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to put a plan in place to bring waiting times back to acceptable levels, and to report every two weeks on progress towards this goal. The RSA report for the week ending 28 June shows that the average wait time had reduced to just over 16 weeks, ahead of the 18-week target for end-June agreed between the RSA and Minister Canney. The goal remains to reduce the waiting time to a maximum of ten weeks by September 2025.
The report also showed that 18 additional testers will begin conducting driving tests this week, followed by a further 12 in two weeks’ time. This additional capacity means that progress should continue or further accelerate over the summer months. The RSA expects to have its full sanction of 200 driver testers in place by September.
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien said: “This is a substantial reduction in driving test waiting times since the high of 27 weeks at the end of April. I welcome the engagement of Minister Canney with the RSA on this issue, and the benefit it has brought to those most affected by long waiting times.”
Minister Canney said:
“I am happy to see this positive progress towards reducing driving test waiting times. I am acutely aware of the frustration felt by those eager to sit their tests, and remain determined that we return to the maximum ten-week waiting time as soon as possible.
“This report shows that we are making headway towards the target. I thank the testers, support staff and the team at the RSA for the hard work it has taken to get to this point, and I look forward to further meaningful progress.”