Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 289: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will confirm that EU Directive 2004/8/EC was implemented before 21 February 2006; if the directive was not implemented by that date, the reason Ireland did not meet its obligations to implement this directive before the deadline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9302/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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EU Directive 2004/8/EC requires member states to take a number of actions in respect of the promotion of combined heat and power, CHP, including the requirement to introduce a new definition of high efficiency CHP. This definition requires the provision of efficiency reference values for the separate production of electricity and heat, and the European Commission had committed to establishing a harmonised set of efficiency reference values by 21 February 2006. These values have not yet been finalised. In anticipation of the establishment of these values, Ireland drafted provisions for the new definition and these are included in the Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006, the text of which has been approved by the Government. Arrangements are in hand to publish the Bill in the coming days and the harmonised efficiency reference values will be inserted by ministerial order once established by the Commission.