Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 April 2016
504. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the progress to date towards reaching targets arrived at by the previous administration in respect of renewable energy with a view to meeting international commitments within time and target; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7741/16]
View answerThe 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive sets Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements 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 sources of energy. Figures provided by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) show that Ireland is just over halfway in meeting its 2020 targets, with 8.6% of Ireland’s overall energy requirements being met from renewable sources in 2014. More specifically, the SEAI has calculated that 22.7% of electricity, 6.6% of heat and 5.2% of transport were met from renewable sources. While the progress to date is encouraging, significant challenges remain, particularly in the heat and transport sectors.
