IFA Renewables Energy Chairman Tom Short has welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed that the Department will allocate €10m to fund energy efficiencies and renewable energy technologies under TAMS. However, he said that Government’s piecemeal approach will not deliver on Ireland’s renewable energy targets.
Tom Short said, “The Department of Agriculture has taken the initiative, by rolling out funding for PV solar and energy efficiency lighting and this is a welcome first step.
However, the scope of the technologies supported is too narrow and the fund limited. The allocation of €10m is a token amount in the context of what is needed to drive on the rapid expansion of Ireland’s circular bio-economy, which encompasses renewable energy.”
The EU and international experience show that investing in the bio-economy and the renewable energy industry generates significant employment, particularly in rural regions.
The switch to renewable energy generation from diversified sources delivers many additional benefits, including increased energy security, reduced dependence on imported fossil fuels, and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The IFA Renewables Energy Chairman said this will not happen unless and until Government formulates a clear and coherent policy, and establishes a dedicated fund and appoints a task force to drive on the initiative that supports the development of Ireland’s bio-economy.
“Any support scheme that is put in place must support community microgeneration along with the deployment of the full range of renewable technologies including: wind turbines, micro hydro, solar PV systems, anaerobic digestion, ground source heat pumps, and combined heat and power to meet EU climate change and renewable energy targets,” said Tom Short.
