Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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81. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will report on the forecast level for renewable energy generation in the heat, transport and power sectors by 2020; and the additional measures he is introducing to prevent future fines for failure to comply with the EU Renewable Energy Directive. [13938/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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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 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 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 in 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 took effect from 1 January 2017 when the rate increased to 8% by volume. I intend to publish a consultation later this year to examine the potential for further phased increases to the Biofuels Obligation Scheme designed to assist us meeting our RES-T objectives.

The Renewable Energy Directive provides a comprehensive framework for Member States to work towards achieving individual and EU renewable energy targets.