Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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Question 365: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the current expenditure on renewable energy; his plans regarding expenditure and grant aid for renewable energy for the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9542/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Exchequer expenditure in the renewable energy area is administered through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), which has a total allocation of €88.773m this year as provided for in Budget 2011. While energy efficiency programmes have become the primary focus of SEAI's programmes in recent years, a number of renewable energy programmes remain. The Reheat and Biomass Combined Heat and Power programmes have a total allocation of €2.997m in 2011. The Greener Homes Scheme remains open with an allocation of €3.3m in 2011. SEAI also administers the Ocean Energy Research and Development programme, with an allocation of €13.1m in 2011, and the Renewable Energy Research, Development & Deployment Programme, with an allocation of €2m, which includes support for the International Energy Research Centre which is being established in Cork. Expenditure in future years will be determined in the context of overall Budgetary decisions for 2012 and beyond.

Renewable electricity generation is supported under the Public Service Obligation (PSO), which is a fund collected from all electricity consumers. The PSO which is primarily used to support electricity generation from peat, covers support to renewable electricity generators under the AER (Alternative Energy Requirement) and REFIT (Renewable Electricity Feed in Tariff) Schemes. Support for renewable energy under the PSO amounts to €43.226m of the total €156.628m PSO in 2010/11.