Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 November 2022
13. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the position regarding plans to boost microgeneration in the farming sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55419/22]
View answerThere is less than a minute and a half remaining for this question. The Deputy has 30 seconds to put his question but he will not get back in after the reply.
In the 30 seconds available to me, I will communicate my point as efficiently as I can as somebody from a farming background. At the moment, there is absolutely nothing for commercial farmers in Ireland when it comes to getting sufficient levels of financial support to install renewable energy infrastructure on their farms. A clear indication of this is that, as of last year, only 2% of dairy farmers had taken up photovoltaic, PV, solar schemes. Will the Department look into this and draw up a plan to allow Irish farmers in the dairy industry and in other areas in which there is heavy energy usage to join efforts to reduce our usage of fossil fuels by increasing renewable energy use on Irish farms?
A total of 44,000 households in Ireland are now generating their own power.
I asked about farms.
I take the Deputy's point that we need to extend the schemes to farms and make renewable energy generation part of farm income. That is why we are consulting on a new scheme for small-scale generation, which goes from 50 kV up to 6 MW. Farmers will not have to go into an auction system or other complicated processes. Solar energy is the type of generation that makes the most sense for farmers. The scheme will open up an opportunity to install panels, whether on the barn roof or in a field. There is a huge opportunity there, which we recognise. I commit to ensuring the solar revolution that is only starting will take off on farms as well as in Irish homes.
I thank the Deputy and the Minister for their co-operation.
