Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 25: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he will announce a new support scheme for microgeneration; and the form that the scheme will take. [23544/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I accept that uptake on the current microgeneration support scheme has been slow to date. This scheme is provided by the ESB and offers a guaranteed price of 19 cent per kilowatt hour of electricity produced and exported to the grid.

In line with my objective to increase deployment of microgeneration technologies, my Department is working closely with the Sustainable Energy Authority to build on the experience gained from the field trials undertaken and to assess the options for increased market deployment. Technical and safety standards are being developed and options for possible new support measures are being explored.

The existing ESB scheme is focused on domestic scale technologies with an 11 kV size limit. I have asked my Department to examine a range of larger scale technologies which would be appropriate for deployment at farm, small business and community level. I am pushing to get this work completed as soon as possible because I am keen for people in rural areas to benefit directly from the natural resources that are available.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I will endeavour to get an answer from the Minister. He has become one of the great deflectors in terms of giving out information.

Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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I thought deflectors were banned.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I ask the Minister for the date on which we will have a new scheme to support microgeneration across the country. This is something he has promised repeatedly for at least the past eight months and it was my understanding that we would see it before the summer break. Can he give the industry, farmers and business people factual information rather than another explanation as to why it makes sense? When will people see a new support scheme for microgeneration so that we can harness natural resources in the ways that the Minister desires?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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We are committed to ensuring that microgeneration works and we have demonstrated his commitment by a series of delivered measures, including changes to planning regulations to make easier for people to construct microgeneration facilities.

The grant scheme is being considered by Sustainable Energy Ireland to ensure we get the standards right and avoid an industry developing on poor standards which does not take off on the long run. Between 12 and 18 months ago, the ESB, encouraged by me, agreed to introduce a price of up to 19 cent. Previously, one could not even sell back into the system.

When progress is not being made as fast as I would like, we will test the scheme and introduce a revised one. I will do my best to get the scheme right before introducing it. The scheme is not yet right because this is a technical and complex matter. We are committed, however, to adding further measures to those we have consistently introduced over the past three years.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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It is difficult to have faith in the Minister when he tells us one thing on the record in committee before completely revising his statement on the floor of the House. This also occurred in the case of the so-called one stop shop for broadband which has been totally remodelled. Those involved in the micro-generation industry are concerned that a new scheme will not be introduced before the summer. The livelihoods of people who have invested in micro-generation industries, whether wind turbines, micro-CHP or other technologies, are on the line. They made investments on the back of assurances provided by the Minister that he would establish a new support scheme, whether one modelled on the scheme implemented and working in Britain or the scheme implemented in Germany. I ask the Minister to provide certainty as to when the new and necessary measures will be introduced. We cannot keep an industry hanging on forever. Its financial position precludes it.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I have consistently told the industry that a phased approach would be taken. The Department must ensure safety issues and standards are addressed properly. We stated we would start on a smaller scale of micro-generation, of up to 11 kW, before introducing a further scheme. At each stage, I indicated we would take a phased approach which would take time and require a series of different measures to be introduced, rather than introducing a big bang change.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Minister told us this would be done by the summer.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I would like to get it done before the summer and will push my Department in that regard. While I hope we will be able to do so, first and foremost, we will ensure we get the best type of support scheme. However, I still hope to deliver on the timeframe to which the Deputy referred.