Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 962: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the action he will take to reach the target in his Department in relation to the programme for Government commitment of a 3% annual reduction on carbon emissions; his views on whether such a target will be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29137/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government target refers to a 3% reduction per year on average in greenhouse gas emissions. It does not contain an individual target for Departments for emissions reductions as the levels of reductions will vary from each sector.

The energy sector will have to make a leading contribution towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a range of measures designed to improve energy efficiency and increase the penetration of renewable energy across the electricity, heat and transport sectors.

Among the significant energy efficiency initiatives already introduced this year are the energy efficiency tax incentive aimed at supporting investment in new energy-saving equipment by companies and the Pilot Home Energy Savings Scheme. These complement existing successful energy efficiency initiatives such as IS 393 (the Irish Standard for Energy Management), the Energy Agreements Programme, the House of Tomorrow Programme and the Power of One Energy Efficiency Awareness Campaign.

The forthcoming National Energy Efficiency Action Plan will set out the Government's comprehensive programme of action to be implemented across all sectors to deliver on our national and EU targets for energy efficiency.

On the renewable energy side, I am confident that we will meet our renewable electricity targets underpinned by the Renewable Energy Feed In Tariff mechanisms and the GATE 3 connections and authorisations process. I also announced a major ocean energy research and development programme earlier this year. As well as SEI's Greener Homes Scheme, which is designed to increase the penetration of renewable heat in the domestic sector, SEI also operates the Reheat and Combined Heat and Power programmes which focus on renewable heating technologies for the commercial, voluntary, community and education sectors.

On the both energy efficiency and renewable energy, I will continue to drive the implementation of the many relevant actions in the Energy Policy Framework and the Programme for Government to achieve reductions in emissions.