Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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285. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which natural energy resources continue to be developed and made available to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11045/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The overarching objective of the Government's energy policy is to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers.

The Government’s strategy for the exploitation of the State’s natural hydrocarbon resources aims to maximise the level of exploration activity and increase the level of production activity, while ensuring a fair return to the State from these activities. My Department continues to promote exploration and development opportunities to the international oil and gas industry. As at 28 February 2015 there were 3 Petroleum leases, 30 Exploration Licences and 16 Licensing Options active in the Irish Offshore.

Exploration activity levels in the Irish offshore has ebbed and flowed over the past four decades. However, Ireland currently has the highest number of exploration authorisations in place since offshore exploration began in the early 1960’s. To date, exploration has yielded four commercial gas fields but no commercial oil fields.

In terms of the energy system, in 2013 peat represented 5.4% of energy use with electricity generation from peat being supported at three plants. Furthermore, in 2013 approximately 4% of our gas needs was met from Irish sources.

Our natural resources, including wind, biomass, hydro, solar and geothermal play a role in increasing the renewable energy we use and, in 2013, 7.8% of Ireland's overall energy requirement was met from renewable sources. This is set to increase in the context of meeting our renewable energy target of 16% by 2020. In this regard policies are in place to incentivise the increased use of renewable energy including the REFIT schemes and the Biofuels Obligation Scheme, both of which can provide a route to market for indigenous resources.

Although wind energy has been the largest driver of growth in renewable electricity in Ireland, there is potential to diversify our renewable electricity generation portfolio. To that end, the 2014 Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan identifies the sustainable economic opportunity for Ireland of realising the potential of our indigenous offshore wind, wave and tidal energy resources.

Furthermore, the recently published Draft Bioenergy Plan recommends the introduction, from 2016, of a Renewable Heat Incentive for larger heat users to change to heating solutions that produce heat from renewable sources. The draft Bionergy Plan recognises that meeting the demand for biomass from indigenous sources could deliver significant benefits. Consequently, the draft Plan contains measures to stimulate and support the supply of Irish biomass.