Mary White (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I wish to speak on this Adjournment debate to discuss a matter of national importance, namely, the urgent need to conduct a feasibility study into making my county town, Carlow, the first green energy town in Ireland, in order to advance the implementation of the targets set out in the national bioenergy action plan.

This is especially important in light of the need for an indigenous fuel supply, concerns with peak oil, the consequences of climate change, and the need to meet our Kyoto targets. The national bioenergy plan has an ambitious target of 33% for renewable electricity by 2020. It sets a bio-fuel target of 5.75% for road transport fuel for 2010, and a target of 5% renewable share in the heating sector by 2010.

My home county town of Carlow is ideally placed to establish itself as the leader in renewable energy among towns across Ireland. I call upon the Government to initiate a feasibility study to explore the possibility of developing local value chains for renewable energy systems on how to heat large buildings in Carlow by biomass and by using microgrids connecting buildings that are close to each other, and in using district heating systems. Using these methods, Carlow could become a renewable energy town linking in to local energy resources to develop biomass and other projects. In so doing, Carlow, in tandem with public private partnerships, could attract many new businesses and become the giant of the renewable energy sector in Ireland.

By leading the field in this vital sector of renewable energy, it could create sustainable employment and numerous new renewable energy enterprises. This format could allow Carlow to work towards being totally self-sufficient in renewable energy, renewable heat and liquid bio-fuels generated from local sources. This is particularly important in the light of the recent closure of the Carlow sugar factory and could give enormous competitive advantage to farmers in Carlow and the wider area of the south east to grow energy crops for bio-fuel and biomass.

The county has a skilled workforce and with forward planning, in tandem with the extensive research facilities at Oak Park where Teagasc has its headquarters, this could develop many new business enterprises allowing the town to offer incoming businesses a most attractive package of reduced energy costs.

This innovative idea is not something I have dreamed up myself. It has been pioneered in Austria in the town of Gussing. This town was located in one of the poorest regions of Austria but it has now become one of the wealthiest. Carlow has a tremendous opportunity to replicate this success. In 1988 the municipality of Gussing set a goal to replace its €1.3 million spend on imports of oil, electricity and other fuels with renewable energy supplies from locally available resources. This is something I want Carlow to be able to do. In 1990 a decision was made to fully phase out fossil fuel. Today, Gussing is an autonomous renewable energy city for electricity and heating needs. The needs of Carlow could be met by growing our energy crops and by having a good vision for renewable energy in the south east. Carlow, with its excellent road network, good rail infrastructure and its vibrant and dynamic workforce simply needs a kick-start from the Government in the area of renewable energy technology.

Carlow has recently experienced job losses in Lapple Ireland Limited, Irish Sugar and other businesses. Our proud county town is eager to commit to renewable energy technologies and with our extensive land bank, expert agricultural sector and supportive local authority with its own dynamic bioenergy programme, in tandem with Teagasc, I put forward this concept that Carlow, the second smallest county in Ireland could become a giant of the renewable energy sector. I call upon the Government to initiate this feasibility study to promote the concept of Carlow as a green energy town, in the national interest.

In my five-year term in the Dáil, I will press this agenda hard and wholeheartedly in the hope the Government can come up with a resolution to my idea.

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome Deputy White to the House and compliment her on her contribution.

The development of Ireland's bioenergy sector is part of a comprehensive strategy to increase deployment of renewable energy across the three energy sectors — transport, heat and electricity. These sectors are almost equal in the amount of energy they use and their CO2 emissions.

Bioenergy policy is relevant across several areas of Government responsibility and has potential benefits across a variety of diverse areas. It addresses several cross-cutting policy objectives, including diversity and security of fuel supply, climate change, development of the rural economy, and enhancing competitiveness through the provision of cleaner, cheaper energy.

The development of our bioenergy resources thus requires an integrated "whole of Government" approach to policy development. In recognition of the complexities of the bioenergy challenge, a ministerial task force on bioenergy was established in 2006. Seven Departments were represented on the ministerial task force, reflecting the priority afforded to this area by Government.

The action plan sets out ambitious targets for the deployment of bioenergy in the heat, transport and electricity sectors. The targets are established to 2020, to provide a level of market certainty for prospective developers. A range of deployment strategies across several Departments was identified in the action plan, many of which are already being implemented.

The public sector, in particular, has been singled out to act as an exemplar for bioenergy deployment. The OPW has committed to using bioenergy in all new buildings, and to retrofitting 20 of its large buildings with bioenergy heating systems within the next 12 months. Schools too are to be targeted, with eight schools receiving funding to install bioenergy heating systems this summer, with a view to providing models that can be replicated in other schools.

Renewable energy will also be given increased emphasis in the leasing of buildings for the public sector, and energy efficiency programmes are to be introduced. In the transport area, the Government aims to use bio-fuel blends of 5% in its existing CIE and local authority fleets and to move towards 30% bio-fuel blends in new fleets, where possible.

In the past two years a range of renewable energy support programmes, including the greener homes domestic grants, reheat grants and CHP deployment programmes, valued at more than €400 million, has been introduced. The programmes are designed to be accessible to all energy users around the country, from householders, to community and voluntary groups, the commercial and industrial sector and renewable electricity producers. Funding of up to 40% is available under the reheat programme for organisations wishing to examine the feasibility of utilising the technologies funded under the programme. Grants have been made available to applicants in County Carlow under the greener homes and the reheat schemes. In addition, funding has also been provided to a developer in County Carlow under the house of tomorrow programme towards the development of 56 low energy design housing units. These programmes are backed up by strong investment in energy research and development, as well as the €10 million Power of One energy efficiency campaign.

In reaching out across all sectors of society, the renewable energy policy and this biomass action plan, which I stress is a national plan, empowers everyone to play their part in a cleaner and more competitive environment. The adoption of a "whole of Government" approach to this challenge will ensure its ability to maximise the national benefit of these policies.

The renewable electricity, heat and transport programmes offer a range of new opportunities for farmers and foresters. The action plan recognises the need to develop the entire supply chain, from producer to energy end-user and a range of schemes have been introduced by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to incentivise energy crop production. The forestry machinery grants, bio-energy establishment scheme and top-up payment to the energy crop premium are proving popular and are designed to mitigate perceived risks and encourage investment in energy-related farm and forest businesses.

The action plan sets the scene for the establishment of new rural enterprises using raw materials that previously may not have had any value. Forest residues and thinnings, as well as dedicated energy crops and farm wastes, all provide new opportunities, while wastes such as used cooking oil and meat and bone meal that incurred disposal costs can now be converted into bio-fuels for transport or used to generate electricity.

The bio-fuels sector has seen a sharp rise in activity and interest in recent years and the Government has established ambitious targets in line with EU thinking. It aims to create a level of long-term certainty for potential investors through the establishment of targets for 2010 and 2020 and the announcement of the intention to move to a bio-fuels obligation. The Government intends to launch a public consultation process on Ireland's bio-fuels obligation later this year, which will give stakeholders an opportunity to have an input to the roll-out of this important policy initiative.

The action plan is a valuable first step in recognising the complexities of the bio-energy supply chain and providing cross-departmental support for development of bio-energy in Ireland. Together with the publication of the White Paper, Delivering a Sustainable Energy Future for Ireland, and the revised national climate change strategy, the Government has set an ambitious agenda for change.

The input of producers, processors and consumers will be a valuable part of the process to deliver the necessary changes and the Government will continue to engage with the various sectors and the diverse range of stakeholders on the roll-out of schemes and initiatives to incentivise production and demand. The Government will be glad to consider any proposals put forward by groups or individuals that would contribute to its aim. Deputy White's proposal will be considered and examined in that context.