Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

With the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, I will shortly be launching the optimising power at work scheme which introduces in public buildings many of the soft measures that can help to generate greater energy efficiencies, including campaigns to turn off lights. One often hears an argument that real savings are obtained by providing deep retrofit systems in buildings, but the evidence shows that many of the minor works schemes which involve changing attitudes and behaviour lead to the making of big savings. The annual energy saving targets for the scheme are: 8% in year one, 13% in year two and 18% in year three. The OPW will lead the campaign. Much of the work will be done by private sector tenderers, but the funding is coming from the Minister, Deputy Pat Rabbitte's Department in respect of buildings over which we have control. We are trying to ensure greater oversight of other public buildings. We are trying to become involved in hospitals to extend the work we have been doing in this regard.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform recently provided funding of €9 million over three years from the carbon levy fund for the optimising power at work scheme. The full roll-out of this successful programme is targeted at buildings in the wider public sector. We will spend €2.5 million under the scheme this year and members can expect an announcement in this regard very shortly.