Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 26: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the percentage energy saving that has occurred in his Department and in all agencies for which his Department has responsibility in 2007; the way this compares to 2004, 2005 and 2006; the amount he expects to save in energy usage in percentage terms in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10527/09]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware the reconfiguration of Government Departments in 2007 resulted in the transfer of certain functions to other Departments. In that context, my Department has significantly reduced staff numbers and consequently we now occupy considerably less office space in Dublin. We have also vacated the Department's former offices in Castlebar. As a result it is not feasible to draw comparison between energy consumption in the years 2004 — 2007 for the Department which essentially only exists in its current format since 2007.

The Office of Public Works led initiative to make significant savings on energy across the Public Sector extends to the agencies under the remit of the Department. However, issues relating to energy consumption and savings in the Agencies is a day to day administrative matter for the Agencies themselves and I have no function in that regard.

As regards activity in the Department, we established an Energy Team in late 2007 with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions from energy consumption. The Energy Team has worked closely with the OPW and data for 2008 shows a reduction of almost 10% in consumption and 9% in CO2 emissions over 2007 for the Department's building in Adelaide Road. A reduction is also indicated for Tom Johnson House of some 4% in energy consumption and almost 4% in emissions.