Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the full extent of grant aid available for energy production from biomass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6639/06]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 98: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the discussions he has had with the Departments of Agriculture and Food, Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Transport and Finance with a view to the development of an attractive energy policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6628/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 98 together.

The renewable energy grants package includes funding support for domestic renewable heat technologies, including wood pellet boilers, as well as medium and large scale biomass boilers for the services, business and industrial sectors building on last year's pilot scheme. The detailed measures to roll out the programmes are being finalised and I intend to launch the schemes in the near future.

The majority of biomass energy in Ireland is derived from wood products converted into heat. The biomass sector has attracted the largest level of support under Sustainable Energy Ireland's renewable energy research and development programme. A number of headline projects have been supported under the measure which are stimulating interest in solar and wood heating systems around the country.

To date Ireland has also achieved just over 20 MW of installed generating capacity from renewable biomass technologies operational on the electricity network. This is a promising start and the objective is to steadily increase the contribution from renewable energy sources, including biomass, to total electricity production. I am putting in place a new support programme that will move from competitive tendering under the alternative energy requirement, AER, programme to a fixed price based system to be known as the renewable energy feed in tariff, REFIT. The support programme will underpin the growth of the renewable energy contribution to electricity generators.

My Department is working closely with all relevant Departments, State agencies, the energy sector and industry generally in the development of strategies to underpin renewable and alternative energy policy objectives. The work of the group on bioenergy strategy and the renewable energy development group have been two important mechanisms for developing cohesive policy options taking account of the various sectoral perspectives.