Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the extent to which forestry will play a part in energy requirements now and in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21628/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Wood energy is already playing a significant role in meeting Ireland's energy requirements. In 2006, solid biomass, primarily in the form of solid wood, accounted for 45% of renewable energy consumption in Ireland, mainly in the generation of heat in the domestic and wood processing sectors.

Projections by COFORD and Sustainable Energy Ireland indicate that there will be a potential annual supply of 2 million tonnes of wood biomass by 2020, based on a combination of energy wood from privately owned-forests, final harvesting residues from State owned forests, processing residues from the saw milling sector and recycled untreated wood. Furthermore, Sustainable Energy Ireland estimates that by 2020, refined wood fuels (wood chips and pellets) produced in Ireland could be meeting up to 5% of Ireland's heating needs.