Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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271. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on providing grant aid for anaerobic digestion on farms; the grant aid currently available for bioenergy production for farmers under Common Agricultural Policy funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17752/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland’s Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 will deliver funding of some €4 billion to the agricultural sector and rural areas generally over the lifetime of the Programme. The Programme’s content and design was formulated in light of previous experience and performance and reflects the outcome of extensive stakeholder consultation and does not include support for anaerobic digesters or bio-energy production on farms. Both anaerobic digestion and bio-energy production were previously funded under the RDP and nationally but uptake was unsatisfactory and interest in the schemes generally poor. Under the Rural Development Programme 2000 -2006 a Pilot Waste Processing Facilities Scheme made funding available for the installation of anaerobic digesters on 10 Irish farms. Of the 10 applicants who were approved under the scheme, two applications were finalised and drew down the grant available and a further two cases have been given an extension to the end of 2016 to complete the work.

The Bio-Energy Scheme commenced in 2007 on a nationally funded pilot basis and continued to be nationally funded until 2010. The scheme was co-funded under the RDP 2007-2013 for the years from 2011 to 2014. The Bioenergy Scheme 2015 provided once off capital grants up to 40% subject to a maximum of €1,040 per hectare to facilitate the establishment of willow for use in renewable energy production. Previous schemes had covered both willow and miscanthus.  Grant aid was payable in respect of ground preparation, seed purchase and planting costs. Up take on the Scheme was poor and attracted only four applications. The 2015 Scheme was nationally funded. The continuation of the scheme of support for the growing of bio-energy crops is currently under review.

On the broader issue of support for renewable energy, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources leads in terms of Ireland’s renewable energy policy and oversees the Renewable Electricity Feed-in Tariff (REFIT) schemes. These Schemes are the principal means of supporting renewable electricity generators for renewable energy exported to the grid. The schemes operate by guaranteeing a minimum price for renewable energy generation over a 15 year period. The technologies supported include onshore wind energy, hydroelectricity, landfill gas, waste-to-energy and biomass technologies, including anaerobic digestion. Electricity and heat produced from anaerobic digestion (AD) are supported under the REFIT 3 scheme.

The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources is currently examining the design and cost of introducing a new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) to encourage the development of Ireland’s abundant and indigenous renewable energy resources. This scheme will examine the economic viability of supporting a range of new renewable energy technologies in Ireland - including Anaerobic Digestion - and will help to further reduce energy-related emissions.