Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 238: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the estimated energy use of his Department in the years 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010; the total cost of that energy use in each of those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44938/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

A number of my Department's main offices are participating in the Optimising Power @ Work campaign. This campaign, run by the Office of Public Works (OPW), aims to reduce the level of carbon emissions in approximately 250 large buildings owner or leased by the OPW for use by Government Departments. In addition to a staff energy awareness campaign, it also monitors the energy usage in these buildings.

Energy consumption figures (expressed in kilowatt hours) in the table below relate to my Department's proportion of office accommodation in the Custom House and Ely Place, Dublin, and Ballina, Co. Mayo which are part of the OPW campaign. The energy consumption figures for the Custom House represent 96.29% of the energy usage in the building and 53.68% of the Ballina office to reflect my Department's occupation of the respective buildings which are shared with other Government Departments.

An energy management system is being commissioned in my Department's new decentralised offices in Wexford to measure the heat output from the woodchip and gas boilers and to monitor electricity consumption, and pending this, the information sought on energy use in this office is not readily available. In addition, solar heating systems, integrated into the design of the Wexford offices and installed in the Custom House earlier in 2010, help reduce the overall energy costs and associated carbon emissions in both buildings. The table below sets out the heating and electricity costs for all premises in my Department's occupancy.

The extraction of the information sought regarding energy use and cost in respect of transport fuel would require a disproportionate effort.