Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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401. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 1146 of 21 March 2017, the reason the timescale for public consultation in quarter 2 of 2017 was not met in regard to the strategic environmental assessment of the national bioenergy plan, which was drafted in 2014 and has remained in draft form since; the reason the timescale for public consultation in early 2018 which he set out in Parliamentary Question No. 215 of 13 December 2017 was not met; the reason the timescale for public consultation in summer 2018 which he set out in Parliamentary Question No. 1048 of 12 June 2018 was not met; and when the strategic environmental assessment of the draft national bioenergy plan will be put to public consultation. [38345/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The Draft Bioenergy Plan established the policy context for the development of Ireland’s bioenergy sector and set out actions to be undertaken to further the demand for and supply of bioenergy in Ireland. Significant progress has been made in the implementation of these actions including:

- the approval by Government of the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat, the opening for applications of the first phase of the scheme (providing installation grants for heat pumps) earlier this month, and the planned opening of the second phase of the scheme (providing multi-annual support to biomass and anaerobic digestion heating systems) by the end of 2018 subject to State aid approval;

- continued support for bioenergy use in the electricity sector including the approval by Government of the high level design of the new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme in July of this year;

- successive increases in the obligation rate to 8% (January 2017), 10% (January 2019) and 11% (planned for January 2020) under the Biofuels Obligation Scheme which increases the use of biofuels and stimulates demand for competitively priced domestic production;

- increases in February of this year in supports under the Forestry for Fibre Scheme for those landowners planting forestry to supply the energy sector;

- the establishment of Bord na Móna Bioenergy in September 2017; and

- the development and publication of research such as the Assessment of Cost and Benefits of Biogas and Biomethane in Ireland published by the SEAI in July 2017.

In addition to progressing the actions set out in the Draft Bioenergy Plan, work has proceeded in updating the plan itself and its associated Strategic Environmental Assessment and Natura Impact Statement. This update has taken longer than originally anticipated in order to reflect policy developments – including the National Mitigation Plan, the National Development Plan, and the EU’s Clean Energy Package.

As part of the EU’s Clean Energy Package, the recently agreed Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action stipulates that all Member States must develop a draft National Energy and Climate Plan and submit it to the European Commission by the end of 2018.

The scope of the National Energy and Climate Plan covers the full energy system and requires a high level of detail on all sectors, fuels, policies, and support measures. It will, therefore, encompass the policies and measures that would be set out in any revision of the Draft Bioenergy Plan. My Department is currently considering how best to integrate both planning and consultation processes.