Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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91. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the precise requirement of Ireland's obligations under international agreements in respect of alternative or renewable energy production; the extent to which he expects the various potential components to contribute to the plan; the targets remain achievable within the agreed timescale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38950/15]

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 and in order to reach this target, Ireland is committed to 40% of electricity demand from renewable sources, 12% renewables in the heating sector and 10% in transport. Ireland has made good progress with regard to renewable energy deployment.

To date, wind energy has been the largest driver of growth in renewable electricity. Figures provided by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for 2014 show that 8.6% of Ireland's overall energy requirement was met from renewable sources. In addition, SEAI has calculated that, in 2014, 22.7% of electricity, 6.6% of heat and 5.2% of transport were from renewables. While the progress to date is encouraging, significant challenges remain, particularly in the heat and transport sectors.

Regarding renewable electricity, the REFIT schemes underpin the development of a range of technologies, including hydro, biomass combustion, biomass combined heat and power, landfill gas and onshore wind. These schemes will be closed to new applications at the end of this year. In terms of renewable heat, in addition to existing measures such as Part L of the Building Regulations, the 2014 Draft Bioenergy Plan recommended the introduction of a Renewable Heat Incentive for larger heat users to change to heating solutions that produce heat from renewable sources.

On 31 July 2015, my Department launched two separate consultations on new support schemes, one for renewable electricity and one for a proposed Renewable Heat Incentive. Two further consultations on each support scheme are planned. These consultations will be informative regarding the cost effectiveness technologies that can assist in meeting our future renewable energy targets. Subject to Government approval and State Aid clearance from the European Commission, the new schemes would become available in late 2016.

As regards renewable transport, Ireland aims to meet its target mainly through the use of sustainable biofuels. Further increases to the obligation rate in the Biofuels Obligation Scheme will be required in the context of achieving our 2020 target. In this regard, a public consultation on the Biofuels Obligation Scheme was completed recently.