Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 135: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he intends to extend the greener homes domestic grant scheme to domestic windmills; and the reason for their exclusion to date from the scheme. [16722/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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On 27 March I launched the "Greener Homes" grant aid package for the domestic sector which includes funding for wood chip and wood pellet boilers and stoves, solar and heat pump technologies. Grant aid of €1,100 to €6,500 will be provided depending on the individual technology used. The focus of the domestic grants scheme is on renewable energy for heating purposes with the specific objective of developing a sustainable market for renewable heat technologies.

Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) has published a study on the metering options for Small Scale Renewable electricity and Combined Heat & Power Generation (CHP) in Ireland. The study identified a number of areas which require further analysis including the ability of such processes to secure adequate payment for their exports; connection standards and processes for smaller generators, and the implications of the single electricity market for small-scale electricity generation. SEI is commissioning work to address these issues in 2006 and this will inform further policy decisions in relation to domestic wind turbines.