Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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107. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the progress that his Department has made in developing a renewable heat obligation scheme. [28452/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Climate Action Plan 2021 commits to the completion of a public consultation on the potential introduction of a renewable energy obligation in the heat sector.

The public consultation was carried out in Q4 2021 and my Department is working through the responses, various technical queries arising as a result of the consultation and relevant findings of the recently published National Heat Study. The National Heat Study, which was prepared at my Department’s request, contains detailed analysis which is being used to facilitate the development of options, policies and measures to decarbonise the heating and cooling sectors to 2050.

I would also note that the detailed consideration being given to the introduction of a renewable energy obligation for the heat sector is in keeping with the commitment in the National Energy Security Framework that 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.

I expect to be in a position to bring a recommendation to Government in the coming months in relation to the introduction of a renewable energy obligation in the heat sector.