Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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233. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide in tabular form the expected installed wind capacity here over then next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38507/14]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020, to be achieved through 40% renewables in electricity, 12% in heat and 10% in transport. To date, wind energy has been the largest driver of growth in renewable electricity, contributing most towards the achievement of the 2020 target. Provisional figures for 2013 indicate that 16.4% of electricity demand was met by wind generation. There is now over 2,000 MW of wind generation connected to the grid in Ireland. It is estimated that a total of between 3,500 and 4,000 MW of onshore renewable generation capacity will be required to allow Ireland to meet its 40% renewable electricity target. Under the Gate 3 grid connection programme over 3,000 MW of renewable generation has taken up connection offers, much of which is onshore wind.

The Transmission System Operators in Ireland and Northern Ireland, EirGrid and SONI, publish the All Island Generation Capacity Statement on an annual basis. The Statement outlines the levels of electricity demand, and generation capacity, expected to be available in both jurisdictions for the coming decade. This includes the expected rate of connections for wind generation, which is set out in detail at Appendix 2 of the report. Information on the connection of new generation is also available on an ongoing basis on the EirGrid and ESB Networks websites.