Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

References in a recent EEA report to a potential shortfall of 16% on the Kyoto target failed to take account of a number of key measures in Ireland's strategy for complying with the Kyoto Protocol. This arises from the methodology the EEA applied. It did not take into account the EU emissions trading scheme, which was praised in the recent Stern report and which will account for 3 million tonnes, sequestration of carbon from forests nor any purchases of appropriate credits through international trading mechanisms.

On the basis of these policies and measures already agreed, Ireland is now positioned to reduce carbon emissions by 14.6 million tonnes, bringing us within 0.6 million tonnes of our Kyoto target for the 2008-12 period. Further measures to close the remaining gap of 0.6 million tonnes will be decided in the coming months.

In total, reductions of 15.2 million tonnes per annum, on average, will be achieved over the indicative period through existing measures throughout the economy, which will achieve a reduction of 8 million tonnes per annum, and a further series of measures which will bridge that 0.6 million tonnes gap; participation by Irish companies in the EU emissions trading scheme, which will contribute 3 million tonnes, and the purchase of up to 3.6 million carbon allowances in each of the years for the indicative period.

Based on the recent review and a public consultation which followed its publication, I am preparing a revised climate change strategy. This will also be informed, inter alia, by the range of new measures identified in the Green Paper on Energy published last month, which were not involved in the EEA calculations. These include the greener homes renewable energy grants for households and the commercial bio-heat scheme which together will deliver an approximate 200,000 tonne reduction in emissions; new ambitious targets for renewable energy use of 15% by 2010 and 30% by 2020 and, therefore, a tonnage saving; more than doubling the use of biofuels by 2010 from 2% to 5.75%, which again will have a carbon saving; the establishment of a task force on bio-energy to develop an integrated national policy in this area; an action plan on energy efficiency to reduce energy consumption 20% by 2020, but again that is not in the EEA calculation; and other grants, for example, for combined heat and power.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

Increasing the use of combined heat and power to 350 MW by 2010 with grants for 30% of the installation costs; and a commitment to co-firing peat-fired power stations with 30% biomass by 2015.

The additional reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that will be achieved through these measures will be sufficient for Ireland to reach our Kyoto Protocol target based on current projections.

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