Mr. Eamonn Confrey:

To answer the question about the 16%, the Deputy is right that it remains the target for 2020. We were at 9.1% overall at the end of 2015, so we have quite a way to go. I will comment on how that target is broken down. It is broken down in three ways. The target for renewable electricity is 40% and we were at just over 25% at the end of 2015. The target for renewable heat is 12% and we were just over 6.5% at the end of 2015. The target for renewable transport is 10% target and we were at 5.7% at the end of 2015. In general terms we have quite a way to go.

Our projections and the intelligence available to us suggest we will hit the renewable electricity target, which is 40%, but we have challenges in both heat and transport. The Commission released a progress report on renewable energy on 1 February. Its calculations and methodology indicate that Ireland, based on the trajectory we reported in our successive national energy efficiency action plans, will hit around 15.5% of our overall target which indicates a shortfall of about 0.5%. From our own perspective-----