Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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211. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason that the Government is not looking at bio-mass technology as an option (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51886/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The National Heat Study, published by the SEAI in February 2022, is a comprehensive analysis of the options for reaching net zero emissions from the heating sector by 2050 and contains detailed analysis which will now facilitate the development of options, policies, and measures to decarbonise the heating and cooling sectors to 2050. The Study considered a number of potential decarbonisation options for a wide range of dwelling and business types. This included the use of liquid biofuels, solid biomass, biogases, and other technologies such as heat pumps and district heating networks. The Study finds that heat pumps play a significant role in decarbonising heat. The recommendation of the Study is that heat pumps are the correct decarbonisation path for domestic heating systems, with district heating also being a competitive option that can be widely deployed. Furthermore, in line with the recent agreement on Sectoral Emissions Ceilings to deliver up to 5.7 TWh of biomethane to further accelerate the reduction of overall economy-wide emissions, an obligation on the heat sector to include renewable heat will be introduced by 2024. The introduction of this Obligation will incentivise the use of renewable heat, while spreading the obligation across all non-renewable fuel types. A technical consultation will soon be undertaken, to directly inform the design of a Renewable Heat Obligation.`