Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The May 2014 Green Paper on Energy Policy in Ireland covers a broad range of energy issues, including an exploration of all possible fuel options for securing a balanced, sustainable and secure energy mix. It is in this context that any current discussions on nuclear energy policy are taking place.

It is important to note that there are currently no plans to introduce nuclear power in Ireland. In fact, the use of nuclear fission for the generation of nuclear power is statutorily prohibited by the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006, which prohibits the authorisation of development consisting of an installation for the generation of electricity by nuclear fission. The Electricity Regulation Act 1999 also makes similar provision in respect of regulatory authorisations.

The overarching objective of the Government's energy policy is to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers. The 2009 EU renewable energy directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020, to be achieved through 40% renewable generation in electricity, 12% in heat and 10% in transport. To date, onshore wind energy has been the most cost-effective renewable technology in the Irish electricity market, contributing most towards the achievement of the 2020 target.

However, there is also the potential to diversify our renewable electricity generation portfolio in the period to 2020 and beyond. To that end, the offshore renewable energy development plan, published in February last year, identifies the sustainable economic opportunity for Ireland, in the period to 2030, of realising the potential of our indigenous offshore wind, wave and tidal energy resources. Furthermore, the draft bioenergy plan published in October last acknowledges the role that the bioenergy sector can play in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

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