Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 300: To ask the Minister for Finance the cost of energy used running his Department in the year 2002; the cost of doing so in 2006; the quantity of energy used in each of these years to which this cost relates; and his plans to reduce this usage as a contribution to meeting concerns regarding climate change. [9824/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The cost of energy paid by my Department in 2002 was €297,609.00 and the cost for 2006 was €384,243.62. The quantities of energy used are not readily identifiable, as a large element of the Department's energy costs are billed on a shared basis with other departments/offices.

The Office of Public Works has invested in an energy monitoring and targeting system which is being rolled out to all of its larger buildings, and will in due course be installed in offices occupied by my Department. This will allow for the identification of energy savings and enable these savings to be continued on an ongoing basis.

The Office of Public Works is also currently undertaking a pilot scheme, to put an energy conservation programme in place in a number of selected State buildings. It is expected that this programme will be implemented for the principal offices of my Department in the current year.

A new building, to be occupied by staff of my Department, currently under construction, has been designed with energy conservation in mind, and will allow for significant savings in energy consumption by the Department.