Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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161. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which the alternative energy sector contributes to the national grid in order to comply with international carbon reduction targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32300/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy demand 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 energy sources, with the latter target also being legally binding.

Currently, the total amount of renewable generation connected to the grid is approximately 2,800 MW, of which over 2,500 MW is wind. EirGrid has forecasted in its "All-island Generation Capacity Statement 2016-2025" that between 3,800 and 4,100 MW of wind generating capacity will be required to allow Ireland to achieve 40% renewable electricity.

The Government has a range of policy measures and schemes to incentivise the use of renewable energy and although good progress towards the target has been made to date, meeting the 16% target remains challenging. The Renewable Energy Feed-in-Tariff schemes support the development of a range of renewable electricity technologies including hydro, biomass combustion, biomass combined heat and power, landfill gas and onshore wind. In 2015, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has estimated that 25.3% of electricity was generated by renewable sources, of which 22.8% was generated by onshore wind. 

My Department is currently developing a proposed new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). In-depth economic analysis is under way to inform the actual cost of a new scheme and, while no decision has been taken on the precise renewable technologies to be supported, the cost and technical viability of a variety of technologies are being examined as part of the assessment process.

Once the detailed economic analysis is complete, there will be an additional public consultation phase on the design of the new scheme. The details of this will be advertised on my Department's website, . The introduction of any new scheme will be subject to Government approval and State aid clearance from the European Commission.