Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 687: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the percentage of the energy consumed in his Department and in all agencies for which his Department has responsibility that comes from renewable sources. [30914/07]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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My Department carries out a periodic review of energy suppliers.

Based on the last review, electricity is supplied for my Department by two companies, Energia & ESB Supply. Both provide a proportion of their energy from renewable energy sources. Based on information provided by the suppliers, the overall amount of energy supplied for electricity from renewable sources for the period in question was some 4.5% of the total.

My Department is currently carrying out a further review of electricity suppliers across the market with a view to increasing energy consumption provided from renewable sources.

The main energy provider for the heating of Departmental buildings is natural gas supplied by An Bord Gáis.

In the context of the Government's Decentralisation Programme my Department's specification for accommodation in Cavan focuses on energy efficiency and part of our forthcoming discussions with OPW will concentrate on the promotion of passive energy solutions in the new headquarters.

The Government's White Paper on renewable energy sets targets for the use of renewable energy as follows:

The White paper also sets an energy efficiency target for the economy as a whole of 20% by 2020, with the public sector having a higher target of 30%.