Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 321: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he will announce the promised renewable energy feed in tariff which is vital to the survival and the development of the biomass industry here. [18709/10]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 322: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when an announcement will be made on the renewable energy feed in tariff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19029/10]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 323: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if grant support will be offered for Miscanthus based heat plants on commercial scale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19030/10]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 324: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans in respect of renewable energy feed; if a REFIT price will be set in respect of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19045/10]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 325: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to introduce a scheme of grant aid to support for Miscanthus based heat plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19046/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 321 to 325, inclusive, together.

The Government has set the targets for the contribution from renewable energy sources to electricity at 40% by 2020. The 40% electricity target is consistent with the new EU target addressed to Ireland in the Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC, which requires Ireland to increase the contribution from renewable sources to 16% of all energy consumed (encompassing electricity, transport and heating) by 2020. Reflecting the need to support the development of biomass, I announced in February 2008 a Renewable Energy Feed In Tariff (REFIT) for biomass of 12 cent per kilowatt hour.

Under the auspices of the Renewable Energy Development Group, which is chaired by my Department, the Bioenergy Working Group is currently finalising a Bioenergy Road Map to 2020, which will underpin the contribution of bioenergy, including biomass to Ireland's Renewable Energy target for 2020. The Working Group is reviewing the current REFIT for the various categories of biomass Combined Heat and Power plants, having regard to the particular challenges for the sector and I expect that work to be finalised within the next few weeks.

The Miscanthus Pilot Demonstration Programme is a newly launched programme funded under the Renewable Energy Research Development and Demonstration Programme, which provides assistance for the deployment of renewable heating systems fuelled by miscanthus in commercial, industrial, services and public sectors and also community organisations and Energy Supply Companies (ESCOs), in Ireland. The programme, which was launched on 30th April 2010, is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

The use of miscanthus as a fuel to date is very limited in Ireland, due to a number of issues including limited experience with its use as a boiler fuel. The Miscanthus Pilot Demonstration Programme is intended to support the establishment of a number of exemplar boiler sites, between five and 15 depending on the mix of size ranges and costs submitted. These exemplar sites will serve to provide important information on the supply chain logistics and suitability of miscanthus as a boiler fuel in an Irish context, as well as providing a solid basis for creating market confidence.