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Energy Policy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 May 2021

Thursday, 20 May 2021

Questions (48)

Brian Stanley

Question:

48. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has a strategy to develop a biomass sector to provide farmers with another income stream; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26924/21]

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Written answers

The biomass sector in Ireland provides opportunities for farmers in the production of feedstocks from forest resources and opportunities in anaerobic digestion (AD). Indigenous renewable energy plays a vital role in our domestic fuel mix and will become even more important in the context of reducing our reliance on imported fuels and in meeting our challenging renewable energy targets for 2020 and 2030. The partnership between farmers and industry will be an important part in the renewable energy future for Ireland and in our efforts to displace fossil fuel usage.

The Department is committed to working closely with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications to ensure that the supply of domestic fuels available in the forest and agriculture sectors are mobilised to support energy generation from a range of bioenergy technologies including Anaerobic Digestion.

In relation to forest biomass, Ireland's current forest policy is to develop an internationally competitive and sustainable forest sector that provides a full range of economic, environmental and social benefits to society and includes the sustainable production of biomass.

The Council for Forest Research and Development (COFORD) publish roundwood forecasts approximately every five years. COFORD estimate that roundwood on the Island of Ireland is forecast to increase from around 4 million cubic metres annually to approximately 8 million cubic metres by 2035. This is a significant increase in production and will mainly come from the 23,000 private forest owners.

The Department continues to support the development of the biomass and forest sector through a range of supports and measures as detailed in the Forestry Programme 2014 - 2020. These measures include afforestation schemes which provide grants and premiums for the expansion of forest areas which in turn increase the production of forest biomass and roundwood. Mobilisation of forest products and biomass to markets is also facilitated by the construction of forest roads through the Forest Road Scheme.

The Department also provides funding to the Irish Bioenergy Association of Ireland (IRBEA) who promote the development and use of biomass from a range of different feedstocks.  IRBEA administer a Wood Fuel Quality Assurance scheme which is a voluntary certification scheme aimed at suppliers and purchasers of fuel produced to a certain standard.

Other complementary measures aimed at increasing demand for heat include the Sustainable Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH). The Support Scheme for Renewable Heat is a government funded initiative designed to increase the energy generated from renewable sources in the heat sector. The scheme is open to commercial, industrial, agricultural, district heating, public sector and other non-domestic heat users and is administered by Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. This scheme will see increased use of biomass boilers using renewable biomass feedstocks to produce heat.

Ireland Forestry Programme and policy support measures will continue to develop the forest sector maximising the sustainable use of wood and biomass and helping to replace and substitute the use of non renewable fossil fuels.

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