asked the Minister for Industry and Energy the percentage of native fuels, e.g., turf, coal and timber at present being used as a source of (a) domestic and (b) non-domestic energy; and the percentage which experts in his Department estimate could eventually be used.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Native Fuel Use.
14.
Native fuels such as turf, turf products, natural gas and coal accounted for about 38 per cent of domestic energy use in 1980.
In the use of these fuels as a source of non-domestic energy the same fuels accounted for about 19.5 per cent of total energy consumed in the non-domestic sector including all forms of transportation and electricity generation.
In 1980 native fuels accounted for 23 per cent of total national primary energy input and it is estimated that by 1990, which is the latest date for which meaningful forecasts are available, the corresponding figure will be of the order of 30 per cent.
The estimate of 30 per cent does not, of course, take into account any further native hydrocarbon fuels that may be discovered and brought into production by 1990.