John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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56. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he would consider establishing an alternative fuels stakeholder forum within his Department, whereby industry partners and stakeholders can set out their views on barriers to deployment, as well as discuss any supporting measures to be put in place, to ensure renewable energy targets, such as 80% of electricity generation be supplied by renewables by 2030, be delivered. [43374/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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In September 2023 my Department established an inter-Departmental Alternative Fuels for Transport Working Group, to facilitate greater visibility on policy development and delivery across the transport and energy sectors in relation to the development of alternative fuels in transport. Among the objectives of the working group is co-ordination of a variety of ongoing actions concerning alternative fuel and electric infrastructure and supply of renewable energy across the transport sub-sectors - land, aviation and maritime, and to ensure alignment with decarbonisation and energy policy led by other Government Departments, including the Hydrogen Strategy, the Biomethane Strategy and Industrial Policy for Offshore Renewable Energy Production.

The membership of the Working Group is composed of Departmental officials and Agencies responsible for delivering relevant actions under the Climate Action Plan, related national policies, and implementation of EU requirements. A core deliverable of the working group will be the National Policy Framework required under the EU Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation.

An issues paper on the National Policy Framework and call for submissions was issued in May this year prompting a 6-week open consultation which was finalised in June where the Department received 30 submissions from a broad range of stakeholders across the transport and energy sector. Input to these submissions has been taken into account and main themes and conclusions have been presented and discussed with various groups of stakeholders. Targets and actions drafted under this policy framework will align with other national policies such as the National Hydrogen Strategy.

Two further working groups established in 2023 under the Renewable Transport Fuel Policy 2023-2027 are supported by an industry expert panel, of renewable fuel suppliers and producers, providing industry knowledge and insight. The output of these two working groups will be part of the Ministerial Report of the Alternative Fuel for Transport Working Group at the end of 2024.

In relation to engagement with stakeholders on alternative fuels for use in aviation, my Department is working on a national Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Policy Roadmap, which is targeted for completion by the end of 2024. A Sustainable Aviation Fuel Task Force was established to bring together stakeholders, to contribute to the development of the national SAF Roadmap. Membership of the Task Force includes government departments and agencies, airlines, airports, academia and representative bodies such as Fuels for Ireland and the Electricity Association of Ireland.

The National Hydrogen Strategy, Biomethane Strategy, and Industrial Policy for Offshore Renewable Energy Production relate to energy production for consumption in all economic sectors of the State, requiring ongoing inter-Departmental collaboration for implementation, led by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, and Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment.

Under Climate Action Plan Update 2024, Ireland has set a target of 80% of electricity demand from renewable sources by 2030, including 8 GW of solar, 9 GW of onshore wind and at least 5 GW of offshore wind.

Under the aegis of the Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce (ARE Taskforce), officials from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have been developing a renewable electricity spatial policy approach that provides for the alignment between local plans and national policy.

Regional renewable electricity targets for solar and onshore wind have been included in the draft First Revision of the National Planning Framework. This will deliver a regional balance and distribution of renewable technologies and provide a supporting policy framework for Ireland’s electricity supply to protect Irish homes and businesses from volatile fossil fuel prices.

The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has developed a number of support schemes, such as Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS) and Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS) to incentivise the development of renewable energy infrastructure, encourage community participation, and achieve our 2030 targets.