Shane McEntee (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 133: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps she is taking to promote wood energy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32722/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Wood biomass is one of the most versatile of renewable energy sources and has the potential to play a major role in Ireland's future energy strategy. Wood energy, in the form of logs, chip and pellet, is renewable, carbon neutral, sustainable and can be produced locally. Solid biomass, mainly in the form of solid wood, is already the largest source of renewable energy in Ireland, accounting for 57% of Ireland's total final renewable energy consumption in 2004.

My Department, working in co-operation with COFORD (the National Council for Forest Research and Development) and Teagasc, actively encourages the development of the wood-energy sector through a range of support measures aimed at creating an effective and efficient supply chain from producer to end user. These measures complement more recent support schemes introduced by the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources targeting the user side of the chain through the Pilot Bio-heat Boiler Deployment Programme and the Greener Homes Scheme.

My Department offers 100% grants and attractive premiums for up to 20 years to encourage the establishment of new forests on agricultural land. If we are to secure wood as a sustainable source of energy into the future, we need to ensure a vigorous planting programme. My Department also supports individual projects and initiative which focus specifically on wood-energy. Examples of these include the Clare Wood Energy Farm Forestry project and the Forest Link project in Donegal. My Department is also supporting projects to market solid-wood products to domestic customers and a wood-pellet manufacturing enterprise.

During 2006 COFORD, which is wholly-funded by my Department, has been running a series of thinning and chipping demonstrations across the country under the banner Forest-Energy 2006. The programme is being organised in cooperation with Teagasc, Waterford Institute of Technology, Bord na Móna and the major private forestry companies. In addition, COFORD has put in place a series of workshops on Wood Biomass Harvesting and Supply Chain issues.

In terms of new schemes, my Department is currently examining the introduction of a Wood Biomass Harvesting Machinery Scheme. The purpose of the proposed scheme is to encourage investment in wood biomass processing machinery, such as whole tree chippers and forest residue bundlers. A scheme to encourage the establishment of willow as a short-rotation energy crop is also being designed.