Written answers

Tuesday, 18 May 2021

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Climate Change Policy

Photo of Patricia RyanPatricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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213. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the new micro-generation scheme will be introduced; the form it will take; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26298/21]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government commits to prioritising the development of micro-generation of electricity primarily for self-consumption. Under the Climate Action Plan, a Micro-Generation working group, chaired by my Department, is developing an enabling framework for micro-generation which tackles existing barriers and establishes suitable supports within relevant market segments. The proposed support mechanism was outlined in a public consultation launched in January (now closed) and the submissions received are currently being reviewed. While the primary aim of a micro-generation scheme is to enable a household to meet its own electricity needs, it is envisaged that a suitable payment for excess electricity generated on site and exported to the grid will be available to all micro-generators in the second half of 2021, subject to regulatory arrangements, in line with Articles 21 and 22 of the recast Renewable Energy Directive.

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) published an updated Roadmap for the Clean Energy Package’s Electricity and Renewables Directives in February, which provides for a public consultation on the regulatory framework for prosumer development later this year. The document is available on the CRU website.

Photo of Patricia RyanPatricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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214. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount the State has spent on carbon credits in each of the years 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021 (details supplied); the sources of these credits; if these credits were ethical; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26299/21]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The 2009 Effort Sharing Decision 406/2009/EC (ESD) sets annual binding emissions reduction targets for EU Member States for the period 2013 to 2020. These targets cover emissions from sectors outside of the EU Emissions Trading System, such as agriculture, transport, buildings and waste. For the year 2020 itself, the target set for Ireland is that emissions should be 20% below their value in 2005. The ESD allows Member States to meet their targets using surplus emissions credits from earlier years or through purchasing credits from other Member States or on international markets. Ireland has already met its emissions targets from 2013 to 2018. However, the latest greenhouse gas emissions report, published by the Environmental Protection Agency in January 2021, indicates that Ireland will cumulatively exceed the 2019 and 2020 annual targets by approximately 11 to 12Mt. Ireland will, therefore, need to purchase additional allowances to meet the projected shortfall. In anticipation of a requirement for the State to purchase carbon credits in partial fulfilment of Ireland’s Kyoto Protocol and ongoing obligations, in 2007 the Carbon Fund Act established a carbon fund and empowered the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) to undertake such purchases on behalf of the State. As the designated purchasing agent on behalf of the State, the NTMA administers and manages purchases of carbon credits. Details of all transactions entered into by the NTMA are published annually in a Carbon Fund Report at www.ntma.ie  in accordance with section 6 of the Carbon Fund Act 2007.

Any requirement to use already purchased or additional credits for compliance under the ESD will be undertaken in accordance with all relevant regulations as set out by the European Union, the European Commission, the United Nations and all relevant international agreements.

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