Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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204. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the action his Department is taking to implement the EU Energy Efficiency Directive; his views on whether the targets will be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59254/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Recast Energy Efficiency Directive (EU 2023/1791) (EED) is a wide-ranging European directive which seeks to enhance energy efficiency across all EU Member States and forms a key part of the EU’s "Fit for 55" Package.

The EED contains many new measures aimed at further enhancing energy efficiency across the economy and society. The Government has a very ambitious programme in place to enhance energy efficiency across all sectors, as a key part of the drive to decarbonise and achieve our climate targets. The Government is fully committed to implementing the EED and recognises the significant benefits arising from embracing energy efficiency, including reduced costs to households, businesses and the Exchequer; increased competitiveness and job creation; reduced fossils fuel use and carbon emissions; a reduction in energy poverty; improved health outcomes; and increased energy security.

The EED contains highly complex and technical requirements which have required careful consideration prior to their adoption into Irish law. In advance of the deadline for transposition of the EED, my Department has notified the European Commission that the transposition and implementation of a small number of articles within the EED has already been completed. In relation to the remaining articles that require transposition, a large volume of legislation is in the final stages of preparation and is expected to be finalised in the near future. My Department is working to ensure the implementation of the remaining provisions as soon as possible.

The EED contains a number of targets for Ireland. Under Article 4 of the EED, Ireland has a target of reducing its energy usage from 11.969 Mtoe in Final Energy Consumption (FEC ) in 2022 to 10.451 Mtoe in FEC by 2030, which is approximately a 16% reduction on 2022 levels. This target is binding at an EU level but indicative at a national level. In addition to the Article 4 target, which is not directly binding, there are several sub-targets that are directly binding. These are:

• Article 5: Requirement to reduce public sector FEC by 1.9% per year to 2030;
• Article 6: Requirement to renovate 3% of public sector floor space per year to Zero Emission Building/Near Zero Energy Building status by 2030; and
• Article 8: Requirement to create new energy savings, via an Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme (EEOS) and ‘Alternative Measures’.