Vol. 427 No. 3
51 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications his views on whether Ireland relies too much on imported energy sources; the plans, if any, he has to improve self-reliance; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ireland relies on imported energy resources for in excess of 70 per cent of its energy requirements and every effort is being made by my Department to reduce this dependence.
Our already proven reserves of peat and natural gas are being exploited to the optimum extent. In the area of oil and gas production, the Government is committed to realising the full potential for indigenous supplies from the areas under our jurisdiction. I have taken a number of steps to encourage petroleum exploration involving fiscal and non-fiscal measures and I am confident that these measures will have the desired effect which may lead to further discoveries and production of oil and gas.
My Department's ongoing energy conservation policy is to encourage the efficient use of energy in all sectors of the economy in order to conserve scarce resources and to reduce our dependence on imported fuels in addition to achieving financial savings and environmental improvements. It is also my Department's policy to encourage developments in the area of renewable energy sources as such indigenous resources have an important role to play in the diversification of Ireland's energy supply as well as substituting in part for conventional fossil fuels.
