Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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147. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the progress his Department has achieved in reducing its carbon footprint; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51128/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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My Department is committed to reducing its energy consumption and to improve energy efficiency by 33% by 2020 as required under the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP). By the end of 2017 (the latest date for which figures are available), the Department had reduced it's energy consumption by 25%.

The energy consumption reduction achieved to date is as a consequence of participating in a number of programmes. My Department participates in the SEAI Public Sector Energy Efficiency Programme and engages in the Optimising Power @ Work campaign under the auspices of the OPW. In line with the Public Sector Energy Efficiency Strategy 2017 an Energy Performance Officer has been appointed, at Assistant Secretary level, to provide leadership and accountability in reaching the NEEAP targets. Efforts towards improving energy efficiency have been achieved through proactive departmental energy teams who are, since 2007, implementing energy efficiency initiatives such as using only energy efficient lighting, more strict control of heating and ventilation systems, organising Energy Awareness Days to improve behaviour by staff at desk level, installing timers on high energy units, regular energy audits and monitoring and reporting etc. It is also worth noting that since 2010 the Department HQ uses a renewable resource, wood pellets, as its main heating system rather than depending on fossil fuels. To date the efforts of our energy teams have been recognised by the OPW under the Optimising Power @ Work campaign with the receipt of numerous awards, including most recently 2018 Regional Best Energy Team and 2018 Regional winners of the Outstanding Achievement Category.

The Department is continuing to make every effort and will continue to strive to be more energy efficient to reach the ambitious 2020 target by continuing to implement existing initiatives in a proactive approach in order to improve energy efficiency. In addition its energy teams will continue to meet on a regular basis to devise and implement new energy saving initiatives in order to reach climate change targets.