Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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147. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Department's plans to reward farmers for producing energy for their private use or by selling excess energy to the electricity grid to diversify their income, as outlined in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66675/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Irish farmers are supported to invest in their capacity to produce indigenous renewable energy for private use through access to solar grant aid.

In addition, on-farm renewable energy generation activities through Anerobic digestion offer the potential for farmers to diversify their income stream, maintain viable holdings and protect our traditional family farm model.

The importance of increasing renewable energy generation across all sectors of the Irish economy has been highlighted through the inclusion of ambitious energy targets in the National Climate Action Plan.

My Department’s support includes a focus on solar energy through the Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS) under the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS) and the installation of mainly roof-top Solar technology along with battery storage on Irish farms across the country. The Solar Capital Investment Scheme has an individual investment ceiling of €90,000 and is grant aided at the enhanced rate of 60%.

My Department co-led the development of the National Biomethane Strategy which was published in May 2024. This was Ireland’s first major policy statement on biomethane and was first and foremost an Agri-centric strategy.

Following publication of the Strategy, my Department announced that funding for biomethane investment had been secured from the EU’s REPowerEU fund. My Department launched a Biomethane Capital Grant Scheme in August 2024 to kick start an Agri-led biomethane industry in Ireland with applicants proposing to produce biomethane from agricultural feedstocks eligible to apply for funding.

The Biomethane Strategy highlighted the importance of farm scale AD plants in the development of the sector. My Department continues to fund research to examine the viability of smaller on-farm AD plants and to fund a European Investment Partnership project in Galway on an on-farm AD model.

Overall national energy policy is developed by the Department of the Climate, Energy and the Environment. My Department will continue to work closely with that Department to ensure that our agricultural sector maintains momentum in increasing the sectors capacity for producing indigenous energy on our farms, diversifying income streams and in contributing to meeting Ireland’s national climate and energy targets.