Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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109. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the incentives that are in place to encourage persons to transfer to more sustainable sources of home heating such as biofuels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60202/22]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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118. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has considered supports to encourage the switching from oil to gas for heating purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60363/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 118 together.

The SEAI National Heat Study is a comprehensive analysis of the options for reaching net zero emissions from the heating sector by 2050 and is informing policy to decarbonise the heating and cooling sectors to 2050. It considered a number of potential decarbonisation options for a wide range of dwelling and business types, including the use of liquid biofuels, solid biomass, biogases and other technologies, such as heat pumps and district heating networks. The recommendation of the Study is that heat pumps are the optimal decarbonisation path for domestic heating systems, with district heating also being a competitive option that can be widely deployed

The Study finds that bioliquids are not a cost-effective option for heat in any sector in any of the scenarios that were considered. Liquid renewable fuels may be best used in transport systems that are more difficult to decarbonise and their use should be incentivised in the transport energy market.

The Government, earlier this year, introduced a package of supports to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades. The new National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme offers increased grant levels of up to 50% of the cost of a typical B2 home energy upgrade with heat pump. Homes that take a step-by-step approach can avail of grants of up to €6,500 for the replacement of fossil fuelled boilers with heat pumps. Heat pumps are extremely efficient and very economical to run offering lower energy costs to homeowners as well as reduced carbon emissions. Full details on the range of SEAI supports available can be found at www.seai.ie.

A District Heating Steering Group has also been established to examine the issues around the structures necessary for the development of the sector and the Group is developing recommendations on the steps necessary to support a structured, nationally consistent approach to the development of district heating.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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110. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if enabling legislation will be required to implement the provisions of Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 including the temporary solidarity contribution on fossil fuel production and refining; if any analysis has been carried out on the impact of such a levy on strategically important facilities for Ireland’s energy security such as a facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60213/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices came into force in October 2022. This Regulation seeks to address windfall gains in the energy sector through measures, including a temporary solidarity contribution based on increases in taxable profits in the fossil fuel production and oil refining sector.  

On 22 November, the Government decided that the temporary solidarity contribution will apply for 2022 and 2023, taxable profits which are more than 20% above the baseline period from 2018 to 2021 will be subject to a rate of 75%, and losses from previous years will not be taken into account in the calculation of the taxable profits.  

Legislation will be required to implement the temporary solidarity contribution of this Regulation. My Department is currently working with other Government Departments, agencies and relevant stakeholders on the development of this legislation. This work includes consideration of any potential impact on Ireland's energy security.