Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

30. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide details of his Department's analysis of a deep retro-fit programme and its potential impact on reducing energy use and thus contributing towards helping achieve 2020 targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10333/15]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The 2020 targets for emissions reduction, renewable energy and energy efficiency form a cornerstone of EU energy policy. The EU aims to deliver a 20% improvement in energy efficiency by 2020, an objective that has been incorporated into Irish energy policy through the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan.

In 2014, at the request of the Department, and as part of the ongoing development of Ireland's energy efficiency strategy, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) commissioned a detailed analysis of the potential for energy efficiency improvements across all major energy consuming sectors in Ireland to 2020. I understand that analysis is ongoing and will be finalised shortly. When published, the analysis will, for the first time, provide a comprehensive overview of the entire commercial and industrial building stock in Ireland and identify additional cost effective renovation measures for every category of building in Ireland-domestic, public sector, commercial and industrial. Accordingly, the analysis will provide the basis for the identification of a range of measures with the potential to enhance progress towards our 2020 target in a cost effective manner. The implementation of any additional measures would require consideration in the context of wider Government policy on the range of actions to be taken across the energy and climate agenda to 2020.