Vol. 433 No. 3
15 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications if any alternative energy sources are being examined at EC level; if so, the environmental implications of these for this country; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The ALTENER Programme, which was formally agreed at the Ministerial Energy Council meeting on the 25 June 1993, aims at doubling renewable energy use from 4 per cent of consumption in 1991 to 8 per cent by the year 2005. ALTENER is a five-year framework programme which provides a basis on which to stimulate and assist various actions to ensure greater penetration of renewable energy technologies.
These measures will help to achieve Community objectives in limiting CO2 emissions. Increased use of renewable energy sources also has an important contribution to make to the targets set in Ireland's national CO² abatement strategy, which my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, recently published and is part of the reason for this Government's commitment to supporting appropriate alternative energy technologies. It is expected that ALTENER will assist in this development.
(Limerick East): Can the Minister inform us whether the ESB is still carrying out pilot studies into the generation of electricity through windmills and the use of wind? In addition, would he state the locations of any such experimental windmills and whether the beneficiaries of the electricity so generated make any contribution to its cost?
The ESB is carrying out pilot programmes and there is a major one at Bellacorick in County Mayo. I think they have a number of others. Certainly they are undertaking such pilot programmes and are reasonably satisfied with progress to date.
(Limerick East): Can the Minister say whether the one on the homeland of the golden eagle is still operating?
I have to rely on memory with regard to that. I am satisfied that the relevant transfer of resources has taken place there to ensure it is fulfilling a pilot role.
(Limerick East): What exactly is the Minister telling us now?
If the Deputy will table a specific question on the matter I shall be delighted to give him the de facto position. I was not aware I would be asked a very personal question about a very important location. Consequently, I can work only from recollection of information which seemed to be public before I entered this Department at all. So the Deputy will pardon me if I have not got the exact position.
Has the Minister been fully briefed on all of the various research technologies being undertaken here and abroad? Furthermore, is he aware that in the seventies and eighties the wave power programme in Britain had almost reached a stage of commercial application save for the hijacking of the nuclear lobby? Would he say whether he would act on the work undertaken there and save himself much time, energy and money?
That is a very broad and vague assessment of something that occurred in the past. If the Deputy will table a specific question on the subject I will be only too delighted to give him the most relevant up-to-date information.
