Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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70. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the interactions his Department has had with other Government Departments to encourage the growth of indigenous biomass further to the recent launch of Bioenergy Ireland. [41836/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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As the Deputy has indicated, there are a wide range of Government departments, agencies and State bodies that are critical enablers for biomass development by virtue of their responsibility for areas such as energy, forestry, agriculture, waste, research funding and business development. The interdepartmental Bioenergy Steering Group, chaired by my Department, is in the process of finalising a Bioenergy Plan for public consultation. This group includes representation from eight Government departments and a number of State agencies. It met most recently on 3 October.

The Bioenergy Plan will highlight the range of supply-side and demand-side measures that are needed to release the potential of the domestic biomass sector in Ireland.  I expect it will be published for public consultation in the coming months.

One of the key measures in the Bioenergy Plan is the proposed Renewable Heat Incentive.  This scheme is a demand side measure with the principal objective of contributing to meeting our national renewable energy targets.  In addition, the scheme provides a key opportunity for the domestic biomass sector.  The Renewable Heat Incentive will be designed to incentivise commercial opportunities for renewable heat technologies including biomass boiler installations and it is expected that, arising from this, new opportunities will open up for biomass feedstock producers.