Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 190: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will outline the pathway for the implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive for 2020, in view of the fact that this will help indigenous companies plan for the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8516/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Directive 2009/28/EC on renewable energy requires all EU Member States that they have a plan in place which sets out the planned trajectory towards the achievement of their legally binding target under the Renewable Energy Directive. The Directive also sets indicative interim targets so that the European Commission can monitor whether the actions being taken by Member States are sufficiently robust over the period to ensure the target will be reached by 2020. Ireland submitted its National Renewable Energy Action Plan to the European Commission in mid 2010.

Under Article 22 of the Directive, Member States are required to submit progress reports on the National Renewable Energy Action Plan to the European Commission. The progress report requires any changes in policy to be flagged to the Commission as well as requiring various other reporting and statistics. Ireland's first progress report has been published on my Department's website.

Within each sector, the progress report sets out the actions which are being taken towards the achievement of the target and the renewable technologies being deployed. In the electricity sector, the bulk of the target will be achieved through onshore wind generation supported by the REFIT tariff. In transport, the target is being progressed through the biofuels obligation with the prospect of some contribution to the target from electrification. The heating target which is particularly challenging will be assisted through take-up of the recently announced biomass REFIT scheme.