Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 27 together.

The tragic events in Japan and the geopolitical events in North Africa and the Middle East underline the imperative for Ireland and the European Union as a whole to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. Radical improvements in energy efficiency and the continued development and deployment of renewable energy are key priorities for the Government and this fully resonates with EU energy policy objectives. In line with Ireland's legally binding target of 16% for renewable energy by 2020 under the renewable energy directive, the Government is committed to ensuring the progressive deployment of renewable energy across the transport, heat and electricity sectors.

The significant level of growth in renewable energy required over the next decade is challenging. Ireland's national renewable energy action plan, which was submitted to the European Commission in 2010, sets out the projections for achieving the target and outlines the challenges to be addressed. These challenges include timely delivery of grid infrastructure, planning permission, regulatory certainty and managing the interaction between renewable energy and environmental and biodiversity obligations. Ireland's overall EU target will be largely achieved through the electricity sector with a target of 40% of electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2020. This will be combined with a target of 12% in the heat sector and 10% in the transport sector.

The incremental increase in renewable electricity is being delivered through the roll-out of projects under the Gate 3 grid connection process overseen by the Commission for Energy Regulation. I have no role with regard to the consideration or approval of projects under this process. The grid connections for these projects require the corresponding building out of the grid infrastructure, under EirGrid's Grid 25 strategy. Most of the 3,900 MW in Gate 3 is made up of onshore wind projects. By 2020, 36% of Ireland's electricity consumption will come from wind - proportionately the highest in the EU. At present, there is 1,448 MW of wind connected to the grid, which represents approximately 15% of the country's electricity demand.

Our targets for renewable energy are ambitious but achievable. They also are vital to reducing Ireland's economic and strategic dependence on imported fossil fuels and to the progressive de-carbonisation of the economy.

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