Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 307: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the progress her Department has made in achieving this 33% target of energy efficiency in the public sector; if energy use in buildings under the responsibility of her Department is being monitored; if so, the person by whom it is monitored; the recent trends; if buildings under the responsibility of her Department are being retrofitted to improve energy efficiency; if there are capital budgets for energy efficiency measures in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13117/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's Services, Health and Safety Division has the lead role in monitoring energy use by my Department, and promoting energy efficiency schemes such as those described below.

High efficiency fluorescent lighting has been installed in all of my Department's Offices. This lighting is considered by OPW to be up to five times more energy efficient than conventional lighting. In more recently built DAFF Offices such as Galway Local Office lighting control systems have been installed, which automatically switch off lighting in Office areas that are unoccupied.

Building Management Systems have been installed in recent years in all my Department's Offices with a floor area greater than 1,000 sq metres. Building Management Systems are set up to avail of off peak/low rate electricity where possible, and are monitored by OPW. Building Management Systems also control use of electricity, gas & oil in all such Offices and centrally controls the hours when heating is turned on and also controls temperature in these Offices.

A number of my Department's Offices are currently participating in the OPW Energy Conservation initiative "Optimising Power at Work" which has a target of reducing Carbon dioxide emissions by promoting energy efficiency and conservation in those Offices.