Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Friends of the Irish Environment have taken a case to the European courts on the regulations supporting the burning of biomass as a renewable. There is major controversy about this. In the US, there is outrage at the exportation of large areas of clear fell and natural forest for power generation by companies such as Drax. This is an environmental crime. Added to this judgment, the State is looking to put an end to support for renewable biomass power generation where biomass would be combined with peat, which is another inexcusable measure in an environmental context. Is the Department considering any change to the renewables directive in terms of support for biomass given the controversy? As an adjunct to this, is the Department considering a further increase in the percentage of biofuels as a blending-in option? This is the main reason the State has been meeting its transport target. There are similar significant environmental concerns, even with the protections in European legislation, regarding the sustainability of the land use effects of biodiesel, particularly palm oil plantations in Indonesia. Is the Department still very much counting on us using biomass? This could range from large power stations down to smaller domestic applications. What is their role in meeting our targets? Will there be a further increase in biofuel blending and biodiesel?