Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2015
556. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason it took until June 2015 for his Department to publish the low carbon energy roadmap produced for it in December 2013. [39428/15]
View answer557. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has received an update to the low carbon roadmap produced in December 2013 and published in June 2015, which does not assume that there will be an unlimited quantity of bioenergy available for import to Ireland, and which does not assume that carbon capture and storage technology will be available; and, if so, if he will supply a copy to this Deputy. [39429/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 556 and 557 together.
The Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development Bill 2015 sets out proposed statutory obligations in relation to the development of a National Low Carbon Transition and Mitigation Plan (National Mitigation Plan), incorporating sectoral mitigation measures underway and additional measures to be implemented to enable Ireland to move to a low carbon economy by 2050.
In anticipation of the planned legislation, work has already commenced on the process of developing the Plan, at both sectoral and national level.
My Department undertook a public consultation in 2013 on a scoping report for a low carbon roadmap for the electricity generation sector. Details of this consultation and a short summary of the responses are available on my Department’s website at www.dcenr.ie This 2013 consultation is a separate and distinct process from the consultation launched in June this year by my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government which sought the views of the public and stakeholders on the preparation of the National Mitigation Plan itself. The submissions received on this were published on the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government website in October 2015. That Department also launched a Strategic Environmental Assessment Scoping Report on the National Mitigation Plan during October 2015. Input received from both these consultations will further inform the development of the National Mitigation Plan.
