Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Achieving our climate and energy objectives requires a whole-of-government approach and I am working closely with relevant colleagues in this regard. The White Paper on Energy Policy in Ireland sets out a vision of a low-carbon energy system in which greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector will be reduced by between 80% and 95% of 1990 levels by 2050, 400 months from now, and where alternative and renewable energy sources will play a dominant role in our future energy mix. In addition, the programme for Government sets out a range of priority climate actions and interventions, a number of which have a direct bearing on the energy efficiency and renewable energy sector. In combination, these will help to increase and diversify Ireland's renewable energy mix across the electricity, heating and transport sectors.

The EU renewable energy directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy demand from renewable sources by 2020. Ireland is committed to achieving this target through meeting 40% of electricity demand, 12% of heat demand and 10% of transport demand from renewable energy sources, with the transport target being legally binding. The Government has a range of policy measures and schemes to incentivise the use of renewable energy sources and although good progress towards the target has been made to date, meeting the 16% target remains challenging.

The renewable energy feed-in tariff schemes support the development of a range of renewable electricity technologies, including those associated with hydroelectricity, biomass combustion, biomass combined heat and power, landfill gas and onshore wind energy projects. It is estimated that 25.3% of electricity was generated from renewable sources in 2015.

Work is ongoing in my Department on the development of a new renewable electricity support scheme to encourage the development of Ireland’s abundant and indigenous renewable energy resources. The scheme will examine the viability of supporting a range of new renewable energy technologies in Ireland, including solar, bioenergy and ocean energy technologies, and will help to further reduce emissions in the electricity sector.

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