Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

440. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the way in which he will ensure that his energy and climate change plan will deliver 16% binding renewable targets by 2020; his views on fines from failing to meet these targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38709/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Energy White Paper 'Ireland's Transition to a Low Carbon Energy Future 2015-2030', published in December 2015, sets out a high-level  framework for Ireland's energy transition to a low carbon economy and society and identifies a range of measures and actions to support this aim. 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. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has calculated that 25.3% of electricity, 6.5% of heat and 5.7% of transport energy requirements were met from renewable sources at end 2015. The SEAI analysis also shows that 9.1% of Ireland’s overall energy requirements in 2015 were met from renewable sources and that this avoided €286 million of fossil fuel imports.

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. My Department is currently developing a proposed new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) and a new Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme, designed to assist us meeting our RES-E and RES-H targets. The introduction of any new scheme - including the overall costs and technologies to be supported - will be subject to Government approval and State aid clearance from the European Commission.

In the transport sector, Ireland aims to meet its renewable target mainly through the increased use of sustainable biofuels, with electric vehicles also making a small contribution.  Further increases to the obligation rate in the Biofuels Obligation Scheme will take effect from 1 January 2017 when the rate will increase to 8% by volume.