Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 27 together.

The Defence organisation has a strong record in the area of energy conservation. As the Deputy will be aware, the European Communities (Energy End-use Efficiency and Energy Services) Regulations 2009 oblige all public sector bodies to report annually on their energy usage and the actions undertaken by those bodies to reduce consumption. My Department is taking a proactive approach to make progress with energy-efficient initiatives. An energy team, which was established in 2010 and reports to the human resources manager, is responsible for identifying, driving and monitoring the effectiveness of energy-efficient initiatives throughout the Department in consultation with the OPW. The team is an active participant in the OPW's ongoing Optimising Power at Work campaign. Energy-saving initiatives which have been implemented in recent times include the introduction of a smart-lighting system, the installation of timers on water heaters and boilers and the shutting down of PCs outside office hours. The Department's new building in Newbridge has also contributed to an increased focus on energy conservation as it has advanced energy-efficient lighting controls and automated air conditioning systems and uses wood pellets as the main heat source. Since 2010, the Department has achieved an overall reduction in energy consumption of 32%. The figures for 2013 are being compiled.

The Defence Forces have established a robust energy management structure, which is active at all levels of the organisation. A senior energy executive committee, chaired by the Deputy Chief of Staff, is responsible for all energy matters, including energy conservation. In addition, energy management teams are established in each Defence Forces installation. The Defence Forces are proactive in pursuing initiatives to reduce energy consumption. Recent successes include the installation of a natural gas pipeline in Custume Barracks using a higher calorific value natural gas, the automatic shutting-off of boilers when the hangar doors are opened at Casement Aerodrome, the rescheduling of heating times in various barracks and the installation of new energy-efficient smart lighting systems.

The Defence Forces have set an annual energy savings target of 3% and reported a 7.1% saving in building energy use in 2011. Their overall energy use has been reduced by 12.3% since 2007. I am pleased to say that both the Department and the Defence Forces have received recognition for their efforts in reducing energy consumption. In 2012, the Defence Forces became one of the first militaries in the world to be certified to an internationally recognised energy management standard, ISO 50001. In 2013, the Department’s Renmore office won the best energy team category at OPW’s regional energy awards.

All feasible options to conserve energy across the defence organisation will continue to be explored. To this end, I am advised that as part of the construction plans for the new prison in Cork, a preliminary discussion has recently taken place between officials from this Department, the Irish Prison Service and the Department of Justice and Equality to discuss the possibility of a shared energy generation system for the new prison and the adjacent Collins Barracks. Energy conservation is a key priority for me and for this Government and has a pivotal role to play in creating the conditions for a return to economic growth and job creation. As part of our commitments in this regard, we have set a challenging target to reduce public sector energy consumption by 33% in 2020. I am fully confident that the defence organisation will more than play its role in helping us meet this target.

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