Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I cannot answer Deputy Stanley's second question off the top of my head but I will get my officials to furnish him with an answer. My understanding is that the contract for the strategic environmental assessment has gone to tender but I am not absolutely sure of that.

The guidelines cannot be retrospectively applied to existing wind farms. However, because we are considering noise rather than setback they may be considered when a new application comes in for a wind farm. There are several wind farms in the midlands, which is the neck of the woods Deputy Stanley and I are from. If one of those wind farms submits a new application, that must take into account the noise generated by the existing wind farm. Depending on wind direction, there can be a mutiplier effect in relation to the new project based on noise from the existing wind farm. That is how it will be taken into account. It cannot be retrospectively applied to projects that are already operational but if a new project is applied for account will be taken of the impact of existing wind farms in the area.

The difficulty with Deputy Stanley's Wind Turbine Regulation Bill is that it relates to setback rather than noise. The approach of the Government is very different in that regard. The guidelines go into that issue in great detail.

Deputies Lawless and Eamon Ryan asked about the penalties Ireland could face on not reaching its renewable energy targets. Deputy Lawless is right to say they could potentially be €1 billion but they will not be anywhere near that and I will momentarily address that issue. There was a 50% increase in the voted energy budget this year. I will be pushing for further increases in the coming years. The current priority is to get a budgetary commitment over several years because it is important to show an upward trajectory in it and significant investment must be put in in the coming years. Regardless of fines, that investment is needed.

The 2020 renewable energy target for Ireland is 16%. As of 31 December 2016 we had achieved 9.4% and, therefore, have 6.6% to make up by the end of 2020. Based on the current trajectory, it is estimated we will achieve 13.2%. We are considering the policy measures that will take us up to the 16% target by 2020. Deputy Ryan asked how much of that will be accounted for by increasing the mandatory requirement for biofuels in petrol. While I am open to correction, that will be approximately 3% between now and 2020. We are currently at 5% on our renewable transport target and expect a further increase of 3%, most of which will be made up by biofuels.

We are also looking at how we can ramp up capacity in the area of EVs in the coming years and we are in negotiation with the Minister for Finance on this matter.