Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 271: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress his Department has made in achieving this 33% target of energy efficiency in the public sector; if energy use in buildings under the responsibility of his Department is being monitored; if so, the person by whom it is monitored; the recent trends; if buildings under the responsibility of his Department are being retrofitted to improve energy efficiency; if there are capital budgets for energy efficiency measures in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13118/08]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I am fully supportive of the commitment in the Programme for Government for the Public Sector to lead the way on energy efficiency. I understand my colleague the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources will respond in relation to the policy in general.

In so far as my Department is concerned it currently occupies four buildings, two of which are located in Dublin at Kildare Street and South Frederick Street where my Department is not the main tenant in either building. This limits the action that can be taken directly by my Department to make these buildings more energy efficient. The energy bills are based on an agreed fixed proportion of the overall bills for the buildings.

The National Archives which are part of my Department are located at Bishop Street. The fourth building is at Fossa in County Kerry, which accommodates an advance party of staff in the context of decentralisation of my Department to Killarney.

My Department has taken a range of measures to improve energy efficiency. During 2007, an Energy Efficiency Committee was established in my Department in the context of the Partnership process to examine energy usage and raise awareness among staff of the need for energy efficiency. In conjunction with the Government's Power of One campaign, the committee organised a number of presentations for staff to outline tips on energy saving actions, both at work and in the home.

An Efficiency Suggestions Scheme competition was also held, which invited staff members to make suggestions on making the Department more energy efficient. I was delighted to personally present the prizes for the best suggestions to staff in July last year. All suggestions submitted have been published and provided to staff in my Department.

These initiatives resulted in notices being placed at electrical equipment and light switches to remind staff to switch off lights and equipment to save energy. Staff are requested to switch off information technology and any electrical office equipment when not in use and particularly at the end of the working day. Furthermore, all personal computer monitor screens purchased by my Department in 2007 are flat-screen technology, which are far more energy efficient than the old Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors used.

Where my Department is the only tenant, in the building in Fossa, it has recently signed up to the Government electricity contract on a Green supply, which comes from renewable energy sources. It has also reduced the exterior lighting of the building to ensure that as soon as the building and car park has been vacated of staff, all the exterior lighting can be switched off, with just a single light over the front door remaining on all night for security purposes. Previously the full exterior lights had remained on throughout the night. The energy used in this building is monitored by an officer located locally in the Human Resources Unit. However, as the Green supply has just recently commenced, it is too early to establish any trends in the levels of electricity used.

The National Archives has consistently adopted a proactive approach to energy efficiency. Various energy saving measures are in place including the heating operating only when the building is occupied. A system is in place for office lighting to be extinguished at close of business each working day, motion sensor lighting is in place in all emergency staircases and in certain storage areas and there are plans to extend motion sensor lighting to all storage areas. In addition, the National Archives has just signed up to the OPW Energy Conservation Initiative, managed by Vector Workplace and Facilities Management, with the objective of reducing CO2 emissions by 15% in the Bishop Street premises.

My Department does not have a separate capital budget dedicated to energy efficiency projects.

In the context of the implementation of decentralisation, construction is currently underway on a new headquarters in Killarney, which will be a "green" building, which will provide a pleasant working environment and yet be economical to run. The design of the building, which has been carefully conceived in line with an exacting brief provided by the Office of Public Works, makes use of many environmentally friendly and energy saving features in line with best practice, nationally and internationally. This building is being funded by the Office of Public Works.

My Department's new IT Strategy for 2008-2010, which is currently in preparation, will address all possible means of maximising IT facilities and communications in terms of energy efficiency and making my Department more environmentally friendly.