Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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603. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a strategic environmental assessment was carried out prior to the development and publication of the National Biomethane Strategy; the way in which this assessment informed the strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35453/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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My Department together with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications co-published an agri centric National Biomethane Strategy in May of 2024. This was Ireland’s first major policy statement on biomethane and is an important milestone in the development of an indigenous sector. Strategy development was guided by a working group which was chaired by my Department with input from industry through a public consultation process.

A Biomethane Implementation Group has been formed and will underpin the delivery of the 25 associated actions of the strategy. This group is being chaired by DCEE who are responsible for overseeing the implementation of the strategy.

I can confirm to the Deputy that a Strategic Environmental Assessment screening was carried out prior to the publication of the National Biomethane Strategy. This involved the Strategy being screened following EPA guidance (2021) and screened against the relevant environmental criteria, as set out in Annex II of the SEA Directive and Schedule 2A of the Planning and Development (Strategic Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2004. As a result of this screening and due to the nature of the National Biomethane Strategy, a full Strategic Environmental Assessment was not required.