Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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105. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of potential policies and legislation relating to anaerobic digestion plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22407/22]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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106. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on whether large centralised anaerobic digestion is being underutilised as a form of renewable energy as this country has a large number of livestock producers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22408/22]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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107. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if anaerobic digestion as a renewable energy will be used as an alternative policy measure to cut emissions from the agricultural sector instead of cutting the herd number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22409/22]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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108. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he is taking to develop potential opportunities for farmers from anaerobic digestion as was outlined in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22410/22]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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109. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there will be additional supports introduced particularly in the area of the food and beverage production industry to incentivise companies to establish anaerobic digestion plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22411/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 105, 106, 107, 108 and 109 together. 105, 106, 107, 108 and 109  together.

Ireland's Climate Action Plan 2021 commits to the production of 1.6 TWh by 2030 of indigenously produced biomethane using waste materials and agricultural based feedstock.

The introduction of supports for biomethane, as a replacement for natural gas in the context of the changed outlook for natural gas supply and prices, will be appraised by Q3 2022, as set out in the National Energy Security Framework, published on 13th April 2022. 

In addition, supports for biomass/biogas in the heat sector under the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH) are to be reviewed. The SSRH provides an operational support for biomass boilers and anaerobic digestion heating systems and an installation grant for renewable heating systems using heat pumps

Any support for biomethane production or use must take due account of the level that can be produced from indigenous sustainable feedstocks, as set out in the National Heat Study.

I also expect to be in a position to seek a Government decision in the near future in relation to the introduction of a Renewable Heat Obligation Scheme. It would be expected that any Renewable Heat Obligation would place an obligation on the suppliers of fuel that is to be used for heating to ensure a certain proportion of that fuel is renewable.

In tandem with the steps being taken by my Department, my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine oversees, through the National Development Plan (NDP), a capital fund of €24 million to support the development of a pilot of agri-led Anaerobic Digestion plants. These Anaerobic Digestion plants will provide a market opportunity for farmers to participate as operators and/or feedstock providers. All sustainability criteria under RED II (recast Renewable Energy Directive) must be met and the scale up of production of renewable energy must not undermine food production.

In addition, the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM) has a key role in the regulation of AD plants in Ireland when using animal by-products as feedstocks. Through this regulatory role DAFM continuously engages with stakeholders, including farmers, involved in anaerobic digestion both as operators and suppliers of feedstocks. The development of an AD industry provides farmers with both an income diversification opportunity as well as a land use alternative. To enhance understanding of the sector and how farmers and landowners may contribute, DAFM has funded a number of relevant research projects in this area. Of particular importance are two projects which have received part-funding from DAFM through the European Innovation Partnerships initiative (EIP), as part of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020.  The Bio-refinery Glas (small scale farmer-led green bio-refineries) and Irish Bio-energy Association (IrBEA) (small biogas demonstration programme) have both been awarded funding of over €900,000 each and upon completion will provide valuable information of specific relevance to Irish farmers.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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110. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if time of use tariffs will be made mandatory along with smart meters in order to make use and production cheaper; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22414/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European Union regulatory regime wherein electricity and gas markets are commercial, liberalised, and competitive. Operating within this overall EU framework, responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is solely a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity and gas markets following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act (ERA), 1999.The National Smart Metering Programme is overseen by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) and ESB Networks is delivering the electricity smart meter rollout. To date over 750,000 smart meters have been installed and 1.1 million are due to be installed by the end of this year. The National Smart Metering Programme will roll out and install 2.3 million meters by 2025.

In February 2021, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) made it an obligation on electricity suppliers to provide Time of Use tariffs to their customers. Response 22 of the recently published National Energy Security Framework identifies the need to drive customer demand for these smart tariffs. Therefore, building on the existing supplier obligation, work is underway to put in place a smart meter data access code (due Quarter 4 2022), which will allow consumers to access much more detailed data on their historical energy usage, empowering them to engage with suppliers to find the smart tariff offering most suitable for them. This will in turn drive consumer demand for an increased range of more sophisticated smart tariff offerings from suppliers.

The National Energy Security Framework response also tasks the CRU with examining the charges within its remit to ensure that the differential between peak and off-peak tariffs provides the opportunity for electricity customers to save money by moving some consumption to off-peak times.

The Deputy may wish to note that CRU provides a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members, which enables them raise questions on general energy regulatory matters to CRU at oireachtas@cru.ie for timely direct reply.