Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 19: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when and how he intends to transpose the European renewables directive into Irish law. [8282/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The renewables directive addresses an obligation to member states to establish national programmes to increase the gross consumption of renewable energy based electricity by 2010. The target addressed to Ireland in the directive is 13.2% of gross electricity consumption. The directive imposes other related obligations to support the attainment of the overall target.

In Ireland, the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 provided for the full liberalisation of the green electricity market five years ahead of full liberalisation of the electricity market. The legislative tools were therefore in place, as part of the 1999 Act, to promote a dedicated green electricity market in Ireland prior to the publication of the renewables directive in 2001.

Article 9 of the directive required member states to notify the form and method of transposition of the directive to the EU Commission. The Department has made the necessary report to the EU Commission. No adverse finding has been made by the Commission on the means of transposition. In addition to the report to the Commission, Articles 3 and 6 of the directive require member states to publish reports on future targets and the various administrative actions taken to deliver on the obligations arising from the directive. These reports have been published by my Department and can be accessed on my Department's website, www.dcmnr.ie.

From my point of view, the priority is to optimise the contribution of wind energy based electricity to national supply on a basis that is practical, affordable and consistent with maintaining systems security. The primary concerns should, therefore, concentrate on the practical administrative arrangements in place to administer and regulate the sector rather than concentrate unduly on the underlying legal basis. I am confident that the current work of my Department, the Commission for Energy Regulation, Sustainable Energy Ireland and representative associations of the wind energy sector within the renewable energy development group will ensure the full requirements of the directive can be delivered on time.