Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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213. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the full extent of the development of the alternative energy sector over the past five years with a view to the benefit to the environment and the economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18332/18]

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.

Published data from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) indicates that 27.2% of electricity, 6.8% of heat and 5.0% of transport energy requirements were met from renewable sources at end 2016. Overall, SEAI analysis shows that 9.5% of Ireland’s energy requirements in 2016 were met from renewable sources. 

Information on Ireland’s progress in the development of the alternative energy sector over the past five years is available in SEAI’s publication titled Energy in Ireland 1990-2016 (Page 32, Table 9) which is available at .

The table shows that the contribution of renewable energy to our 16% target has grown from 7.1% at end 2012 to 9.5% at end 2016.