Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

262. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the latest progress in meeting the overall renewable targets by 2020 under the renewable energy directive 2009/28/EC, including the progress on meeting the targets for the contribution of renewables and biofuels to gross electricity consumption, transport energy and heat since this Government came to office, in tabular form. [31202/16]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

263. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if Ireland is on target to meet binding European Union 2020 renewable energy targets; the fines that will be realised if not achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31203/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 262 and 263 together.

The EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy demand from renewable sources by 2020. Ireland is committed to achieving this target through meeting 40% of electricity demand, 12% of heat and 10% of transport from renewable energy sources, with the latter target also being legally binding.

The Government has a range of policy measures and schemes to incentivise the use of renewable energy and while good progress towards the target has been made to date, meeting the 16% target remains challenging. The Renewable Energy Feed-in-Tariff  schemes support the development of a range of renewable electricity technologies including hydro, biomass combustion, biomass combined heat and power, landfill gas and onshore wind. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has estimated that at end 2015 (latest date for which figures are available) 25.3% of electricity was generated by renewable sources (see the following table).

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), has estimated that the cost to Ireland of not meeting our overall renewable energy targets may be in the range of €100 million to €150 million for each percentage point Ireland falls short of the overall 16% renewable energy target.