Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 February 2017
314. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the potential investment projects his Department put forward to the Department of Finance task force report for the European Fund for Strategic Investments. [4863/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information sought is being complied and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A
I refer to the above mentioned Parliamentary Question (PQ) which was put down by you for written answer on Wednesday, 1st February 2017. In the response given to you it was indicated that my Department was compiling the information sought which would be forwarded to you when available. I am now in a position to provide you with a substantive response to the PQ.
The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) is a joint initiative of the EIB Group and the European Commission, aimed at mobilising private financing for strategic investments, mainly through loan funding. The task force you refer to is the EU Commission - European Investment Bank - Member State Special Taskforce which was formed to develop an investment project pipeline for the EU and which was carrying out a scoping exercise of possible projects that might be suitable for EFSI.
The following table details projects which my Department contributed for inclusion in Ireland's project list as submitted to the task force.
|
Sector |
Project Name |
Description |
|
Energy Union |
Energy Efficiency Fund |
Public Sector Buildings: Increasing energy efficiency in the public sector is a key element of EU energy policy and will play a major role in delivering on the 2020 and 2030 energy and climate change targets. There are approximately 10,000 buildings in the Irish public sector, with a total annual energy cost of €600m. This investment would reduce Ireland’s energy consumption, help to meet our legally binding climate targets and replace imported fossil fuels. |
|
Energy Union |
Energy Efficiency Fund |
Private Sector Poverty Retrofit Programme: Improve energy efficiency, reduce energy use and make energy more affordable. More than 400,000 homes in Ireland are in receipt of income support payments due to being in energy poverty. A large scale deep renovation programme would lower national energy consumption, reduce energy poverty and the need for ongoing income supports and boost domestic employment. |
The link below gives a list of all the Irish projects submitted to the Taskforce in November 2014 (see document “Project List – Part 1”), as part of the published report of the Taskforce
http://www.eib.org/infocentre/press/releases/all/2014/2014-277-investment-offensive-for-europe-eu-task-force-identifies-2-000-potential-projects-worth-eur1-3-trillion.htm .
I trust this clarifies the position for you.
