Anthony Lawlor (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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994. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in view of the British Government's commitment to abolish onshore wind farm subsidies and growing public resistance to wind farm development, if his Department will follow suit and review the high level of subsidies provided for wind farm development here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20662/15]

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 meet this target, Ireland is committed to meeting 40% of electricity demand from renewable sources.

To date onshore wind energy has been the most cost effective renewable technology in the Irish electricity market, contributing most towards the achievement of the 2020 target. The existing feed-in tariff schemes supporting onshore wind are a very cost effective tool to support renewable energy development relative to other EU Member States. Ireland's approach was confirmed as one of the most cost effective within the EU by a report published by the Council of European Energy Regulators in January this year.

The cost effectiveness of support for renewables is a key consideration in the work now underway in my Department to consider the appropriateness and design of any new support scheme for renewable electricity. Any scheme would be subject to EU rules on State Aid. The commercial success of onshore wind means that we are now at the point where a gradual move to a more market based support for the technology is appropriate. Taking account of developments in EU electricity market integration, my Department will be engaging with stakeholders in this work, a key component of which will be consideration of the available technologies, their cost effectiveness and the level of any support required.