Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

The party's policy document is fairly scant in that regard as well. While wind will provide the majority of additional renewable generation capacity in the medium term, there is every scope for broadening our renewable portfolio by encouraging biomass and other technologies, which will increasingly become economically and technically viable. For that reason I have provided for a significantly higher biomass feed-in price in REFIT to take account of the higher costs involved — at €72 per MW hour as compared to €57 per MW hour for wind powered plants. That is part of the solution towards encouraging other forms of renewable energy. I will continue to work closely with the European Commission and my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture and Food, in developing the required supports and ensuring that the outcomes are delivered.

We are also working in Europe to ensure that the potential for renewable energy sources is fulfilled in support of the EU's three main energy policy objectives, sustainability, competitiveness and security of supply. I have welcomed the Commission's Green Paper on energy policy which sets an ambitious agenda for the development of renewable energy sources. The EU policy framework needs to be supportive if we are to stimulate the increasing competitiveness of renewable energy sources. Ireland has been particularly supportive of the Commission's proposals to develop a framework plan to strengthen the European research effort and ensure better-integrated Community and national research and innovation programmes. Europe needs to mobilise all players to develop an EU vision for the transformation of the energy system and to develop the lead in energy innovation.

The International Energy Agency has stated that the research and development programmes of individual governments will play a vital role in enabling renewable technologies to deliver their potential. Given the diverse nature of renewable energy sources, each country must promote technologies and options best suited to its own resources and needs. I agree that this is the correct approach and the Government has already demonstrated its commitment by providing significantly enhanced funding as well as new structures to ensure the prioritisation, co-ordination and support of energy research and development.

Following a strategic review of energy research and development, it is clear that national energy research activities should be better aligned with national energy economic and innovation policies. The strategic direction for energy research will focus on security of supply, renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency. In that context, I will shortly announce the establishment of the Irish energy research council, which will advise on the development of policy for energy research——

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