Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 420: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the mapping which has been undertaken to establish the potential from the development of geothermal energy here. [28684/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Work on geothermal energy in Ireland has been undertaken by the Geological Survey of Ireland since the late 1970s in co-operation with university departments and the private sector and supported by the European Commission. Most of the work focused on areas where warm springs indicated medium-depth resources. Exploitation has been on a small scale and inhibited by relatively low prices for other energy sources.

Recent sharp rises in hydrocarbon fuel prices have rightly stimulated fresh interest in geothermal energy. Most recently a geothermal resource map of Ireland was produced on behalf of Sustainable Energy Ireland by the CSA Group, in co-operation with Cork Institute of Technology and the Geological Survey of Ireland.

The study aimed to identify potential resources of geothermal energy in Ireland, gather the necessary data for geothermal models of Ireland, produce geothermal maps of Ireland and a geothermal database, review the current status and use of geothermal resources in Ireland, and make recommendations for future geothermal exploitation in Ireland. The review indicated good potential for using ground source heat pumps and significant deeper geothermal resources with potential for commercial development. Defining the extent and quantity of those resources will require additional work.

The Geological Survey of Ireland, in co-operation with a wide range of public and private geoscience interests, has recently presented a new geoscience initiative for consideration by Government. Among other things, this proposes substantial new research into geothermal potential in Ireland.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 421: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the amount of funding which has been provided in each of the past five years for research and development projects in the area of electricity generation from wave power; and the percentage of overall generation expected to come from this source by 2010 and 2020. [28685/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Wave energy technology is still relatively new and not yet established as a commercial energy technology. Ireland is recognised as having one of the best wave energy climates in the world and the Marine Institute and Sustainable Energy Ireland, SEI, with their combined briefs of marine technology development in Ireland and promotion of renewable energy, have teamed up to develop a wave energy strategy for Ireland. Underpinning this development is a programme of research and development.

Research and development funding is available from the Marine Institute and SEI to develop research facilities and support wave and tidal energy technology developers. The total funding provided for wave energy research from 2000 to 2005 is €690,000.

My Northern Ireland counterpart, Angela Smith MP, and I jointly issued a consultation paper on an all-island 2020 vision for renewable energy electricity. This document indicates a potential wave and tidal energy electricity generation installed capacity of approximately 5 MW in the 2010 to 2012 period. It estimates an installed capacity for wave energy alone of 6 MW by 2020 for the all Ireland electricity market.

It is important to note that wave energy systems are in a development stage worldwide and are not commercially available. Wave and marine tidal energy are typically considered under the same heading as ocean energy. The development status and issues facing both technologies are closely related. SEI and the Marine Institute have made recent estimates for the potential growth rate for ocean energy systems assuming the first reliable ocean energy systems become available in Ireland by 2010. It is estimated that 4 MW of demonstration systems could be generating electricity by 2010 in Ireland and increasing incrementally thereafter.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 422: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will support the introduction of mandatory targets for energy efficiency gains under the proposed European Union new energy efficiency directive which is due to be considered by the Council of Ministers. [28686/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Mandatory targets that are realistic and potentially achievable are useful instruments to drive greater energy efficiency. Unless there is a real prospect of achievement such targets would be counter-productive. Our efforts must, therefore, concentrate on agreeing targets that stretch us but are within our reach.