Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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1513. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the expected date for the release of the proposed renewable heat incentive for the final public consultation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1765/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Cleaner heat is  part of Ireland's renewable energy policy objective and the introduction of a Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) for Ireland is a commitment in White Paper on Energy and the Programme for Government. This will be the primary support mechanism in the heating sector designed to meet Ireland’s renewable energy obligations. The aim of the scheme is to build on the progress already made in the renewable heating sector and to help reach Ireland’s 12% target by 2020. In 2015, 6.5% of heat was derived from renewable sources in Ireland. 

The proposed scheme is aimed at supporting larger industrial and commercial installations outside of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) to change to heating solutions that produce heat from renewable sources.  

Before any final decision is taken on the renewable heat technologies to be supported, there will be an additional public consultation phase on the design of the new support scheme. Details of this consultation will be available on my Department’s website  www.dccae.gov.ie.  It is expected that the final consultation on the RHI will issue shortly.

The overall costs and technologies to be supported will be subject to Government approval and State aid clearance from the European Commission before any scheme is introduced.