John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 97: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her attention has been drawn to the development, in Scotland, of a €24 million bio-energy plant by a company (details supplied); if her attention has further been drawn to the level of state support this company received for this project; if she has discussed the possibility of similar supports for the development of bio-energy with the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources; if such supports are planned; if projects of a similar scale are viable here in view of the decline in forestry planting in recent years; if the company has approached her concerning similar projects. [40584/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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While I have no direct knowledge of this development, it is my understanding from media reports that the company in question plans to build a combined heat and power plant in Scotland to produce electricity and wood pellets for commercial use. The question of providing Exchequer funding for similar bioenergy projects in Ireland is a matter for the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, who has overall responsibility for energy policy. In the last budget, an indicative allocation of €11m was provided for a Combined Heat and Power programme to run from 2006 to 2010. A new Combined Heat and Power Deployment Programme, which is being administered by Sustainable Energy Ireland, will provide grant support to assist the deployment of small-scale fossil fired and biomass CHP systems.

Forestry is by its nature a long-term activity and planting rates fluctuate from year to year. What is important is to ensure that, on average, a viable rate of planting is maintained over time. Notwithstanding the decline in planting levels this year, the average annual afforestation rate over the last 20 years has been about 14,000 hectares and as a result substantial biomass potential remains to be tapped in our forests.

The Government recently established a Ministerial Taskforce on Bioenergy, which is being chaired by Minister Dempsey, to prepare a plan to develop Ireland's bioenergy resources to 2020. I am participating in the Taskforce and along with my Ministerial colleagues we are working to deliver an integrated National Bio-Energy Action Plan by the end of 2006. The Plan will set challenging targets to develop Ireland's bioenergy resources up to 2020.