Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 438: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the promise in the Programme for Government which promised to require the public sector to lead the way on energy efficiency with a mandatory programme of efficiency measures including the sole use of energy-efficient lighting and heating in offices, schools and hospitals and other public buildings to produce 33% energy savings by 2020; the progress his Department has in achieving this 33% target; 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. [13119/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I published a draft national energy efficiency action plan for public consultation towards the end of 2007. The plan sets out the measures proposed by the Government to achieve energy efficiency savings with a target of at least 20% across the economy by 2020, and a higher 33% target being set by the Government for the public sector.

I intend shortly to establish a Public Sector Energy Efficiency Working Group to drive collective delivery of the Government's target for the public sector. The Group will bring together all Government Departments and agencies. The involvement of the Office of Public Works and Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) will obviously be critical to the work of this cross Government group. A key part of the initial work of the Group will be to quantify the extent of existing energy efficiency initiatives within public sector bodies, share experience of best practice, coordinate action and most importantly develop and implement the detailed measures for achievement of the 33% public sector target, including performance indicators.

My Department is currently finalising the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan in light of the consultative process and I will be bringing it to Government shortly with a view to launching the Plan thereafter. In that context I will be convening the Public Sector Energy Efficiency group. It is clear that action is already being taken by a number of individual public sector bodies and much fine work is being done by OPW. These actions are already contributing to energy savings. The energy savings potential will vary from one public sector body to another but every public sector body will be expected to contribute significantly to meeting the Government's ambitious global target of 33%. This will require a galvanising of all players across the public sector.

My Department's national energy efficiency awareness campaign, Power of One, launched a specific module on Power of One at Work last autumn designed to raise awareness among private and public sector employers and staff and, working with SEI, to support behavioural change and encourage investment in energy efficiency systems. Earlier this year, OPW also launched a specific staff energy efficiency awareness campaign for 250 central Government buildings. OPW expects this initiative to achieve 15% energy savings. With the assistance of SEI, OPW has established an Energy Management Bureau to monitor and analyse energy use by the 150 largest central Government buildings. It is striking that a similar initiative by third level colleges in Dublin yielded 12% energy savings for the colleges in 2006.

In the context of the decentralisation programme, OPW is committed to ensuring that all new Government offices around the country are highly energy efficient. The specification for my Department's new headquarters building in Cavan will ensure a highly energy efficient building, making full use of passive and renewable energy solutions.

I have launched a major review of energy use in my Department's existing headquarters building on Adelaide Road in conjunction with OPW. The project involves upgrading of the Building Management Systems, reducing base energy loads, installing additional energy controls, reducing energy demands in high use areas and managing seasonal solar gain in areas under significant glass cover. OPW are also assessing as a priority the feasibility of employing passive energy solutions in the building. In the first phase of the project, significant works were carried out over February and early March on the natural gas heating system and on the heating management configuration. Initial results indicated a substantial reduction in gas consumption, but usage will be monitored over the coming months to definitively establish the trends in terms of level of savings.