Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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613. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will respond to climate change discussions in the context of reducing dependency on fossil fuels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45365/15]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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620. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if natural energy resources continue to be developed and made available to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45375/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 613 and 620 together.

The overarching objective of the Government's energy policy, as set out in the White Paper on Energy Policy which I will publish tomorrow, is to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers as our energy system undergoes the fundamental transformation required to meet our climate policy objectives. A well balanced fuel mix that provides reliable energy, minimises costs and protects against supply disruptions and price volatility, is essential to Irish consumers as we make this transition. To achieve this, it is vital that our natural energy resources continue to be developed. By 2050, greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector will be reduced by between 80% and 95%, compared to 1990 levels in line with the EU objective. Fossil fuels will remain a progressively decreasing part of the energy mix as we transition to a largely decarbonised energy system by 2050, and significant progress is already being made in increasing the share of renewables in that mix.

Our immediate focus is on the period to 2020. In addition to the EU's 2020 targets for emissions reductions, the 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive sets Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. Ireland is committed to achieving this target through meeting 40% of electricity demand, 12% of heat and 10% of transport from renewable sources of energy, with the latter transport target also being legally binding. Figures provided by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland show that, in 2014, 8.6% of Ireland’s overall energy requirements were met from renewable sources. More specifically, the SEAI has calculated that 22.7% of electricity, 6.6% of heat and 5.2% of transport energy requirements were from renewable sources. Biofuels represented 1.9% of gross electricity consumption in the same year. This means we were just over halfway towards each of the separate targets for contributions of renewable energy in electricity, heat and transport. The SEAI has estimated that this avoided €346 million of fossil fuel imports.

Ireland is ambitious to make a cost-effective and fair contribution to the EU's overall 2030 ambition, which seeks to have at least 27% of energy demand met from renewable sources by 2030. To this end, Government policy will continue to be supportive of the increasing deployment of renewable energy. In addition, to the extent that non-renewable sources will remain an ever decreasing part of the energy mix, Government policy will also seek to reduce import dependency by supporting the identification and harnessing of indigenous supplies. Corrib gas coming on stream will make a significant impact on reducing energy imports, meeting 40% of all-island demand in its first years of production.