Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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357. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if Ireland is on target to meet its EU renewable targets by 2020; the obstacles to achieving same; the implications of failing to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38924/14]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The 2009 Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a target of meeting 16% of total energy demand from renewable sources by 2020. To meet this obligation Ireland is committed to meeting 40% of electricity demand, 12% of heat and 10% of transport from renewables. Provisional figures indicate that, at the end of 2013, 7.7% of Ireland’s energy came from renewable sources. There is currently over 2,400 MW of renewable generation connected to the Irish grid, with an estimated total required by 2020 of between 3,500 and 4,000 MW. Over 3,000 MW of new generation, mainly renewable, has accepted grid connection offers, reflecting the abundance of Ireland's renewable energy resources. However, to achieve 40% renewable electricity by 2020, we must increase the rate of build of both renewable generation and the electricity transmission network. Comprehensive engagement with local communities, and communicating the benefits for citizens of realising the potential of our indigenous renewable electricity resources, will be essential in the rollout of renewable energy and grid infrastructure.

Progress towards the renewable heat target is proving challenging. Estimates by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) show that current policies will not deliver fully on our target of 12% renewable energy in the heat sector by 2020. In this regard, the analysis underpinning the draft Bioenergy Plan, published last week, sets out how an additional bioenergy focussed measure in the heat sector would be a cost effective means of meeting Ireland's renewable energy targets. The Plan, therefore, recommends, subject to State Aid clearance and further Government approval, that a scheme would be introduced that would incentivise larger heat users to convert to biomass heating solutions.

Though the increased deployment of electric vehicles will contribute towards the target of 10% of the energy in transport from renewables, the deployment of sustainable biofuels through the Biofuels Obligation Scheme will be the main mechanism through which Ireland will aim to support renewable energy in transport.

Although biofuels from waste accounted for over 62% of the biofuel placed on the Irish market in 2013, a proposed amendment by the European Commission to the Renewable Energy Directive would require that, in addition to the current requirement that biofuels must meet certain sustainability criteria, a limit would apply to the contribution that certain crop-based biofuels could make towards renewable energy targets. This would result in Ireland and other Member States encountering challenges with regard to the availability of sufficient quantities of sustainable biofuel.

Ireland's 16% renewables target for 2020 is a legally binding obligation, as is the case for all Member States. While the EU Renewables Directive makes provision for the purchase of compliance with targets, the costs associated with this are not yet known. In any event, it is critical that we maintain our focus on taking the range of actions available to us to overcome the challenges we face in meeting our 2020 target, and to making our energy system more sustainable, and more secure, for the future.