John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 329: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if, in view of the necessity of Ireland complying with the targets set by the Kyoto Protocol, he will consider the introduction of grants to persons to convert to woodburning stoves, heat pumps, solar panels and other sustainable technologies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30046/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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My Department continually reviews possibilities for incentivising the increased utilisation of cost effective energy efficient technologies. Sustainable Energy Ireland, which was established as a statutory agency in May 2002, implements a wide variety of programmes on energy efficiency and renewable energy on behalf of my Department. Any increase in funding required for these programmes would have budgetary implications and could only be considered in the light of the overall budgetary requirements of SEI and the level of funding available to my Department.

Under SEI's house of tomorrow research, development and demonstration programme, financial support is directed at encouraging developers of housing, both new-build and refurbishment, to incorporate design and technology features, which deliver significantly superior energy and CO2 performance. By targeting developers of schemes of houses, from the private or social housing sectors, the aim has been to establish over a number of years a nationwide network of accessible examples of more sustainable energy design and technology practices. With the accompaniment of other promotional measures by SEI, this is intended to encourage a sufficient degree of market replication, without subsidy, to elevate energy performance standards across the wider housing stock. This targeted approach is also designed to be an administratively efficient method for deployment of public moneys.

To date the programme has committed more than €7.5 million funding to 39 projects comprising a total 1,818 housing units, all featuring an integrated approach to energy supply and use that achieves performance of at least 20% better than current building regulations and in fact, in the majority of projects, 40% better. The range of sustainable energy technologies employed within these demonstration projects includes the following: condensing boilers in 236 homes, solar water heating in 344 homes, heat recovery ventilation in 176 homes, geothermal heating systems in 143 homes, and wood pellet boilers in 93 homes.

Some of the technologies mentioned by the Deputy can have a relatively quick pay back period in terms of efficiency gains and therefore direct subvention to the consumer for using such technologies may not be warranted.