Irish Bioenergy Association

Politician(s) lobbied: Darragh O'Brien (Minister), Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment; Martin Heydon (Minister), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Intent: Invitation to Minister Darragh O'Brien T.D. and follow up invite to Minister Martin Heydon T.D. to deliver an address at the Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA) National Bioenergy Conference - Biomethane and Biofuels. It was intended to secure the attendance of the Minister to engage with IrBEA and attendees at the conference on the policy issues, within their remit, and impacting on the development of the biomethane and biofuels sectors in Ireland.

Methods: Email

Politician(s) lobbied: Niall Collins (Minister of State), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Intent: Invitation to Minister Niall Collins TD to deliver an address and present certificates certified suppliers / members of the Wood Fuel Quality Assurance (WFQA) scheme at the WFQA AGM taking place at the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise on the 3rd of September. It was intended to secure the attendance of the Minister at the event and lobby him at the event for funding and policy support for the woodfuel sector including a wood fuel capital investment scheme for wood fuel producers / WFQA members.

Methods: Email

Politician(s) lobbied: Martin Heydon (Minister), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Brian Purcell (Adviser to Minister), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Intent: Assistance from the Minister in his role, regarding the export of electricity produced from biogas produced on farm, and to lobby the Minister for the transposition by the Irish Government of the recently EU approved Recovered nitrogen from manURE (RENURE) legislation.

Methods: Event / Reception

Politician(s) lobbied: Aine Doyle (Special Adviser), Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment; Darragh O'Brien (Minister), Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment; Oonagh Buckley (Secretary General), Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment; Brian Carroll (Assistant Secretary), Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment

Intent: IrBEA letter to Minister O'Brien seeking 1. That the RHO legislation is published and progressed immediately without delay. 2.That the Government urgently introduces additional ongoing supports to support indigenous biomethane production as an alternative to the multiplier. 3 A strong statement reaffirming the Government’s commitment to the Irish biomethane sector. 4.Meet with IrBEA and biomethane developer members to discuss policy and system bottlenecks impacting on projects.

Methods: Letter

Politician(s) lobbied: Darragh O'Brien (Minister), Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment; Timmy Dooley (Minister of State), Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment; Aine Doyle (Special Adviser), Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment

Intent: Invitation to Minister Darragh O'Brien T.D. and Minister Timmy Dooley T.D to the Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA) National Bioenergy Conference - Biomass and to deliver an address at the event.

Methods: Email

Politician(s) lobbied: Oonagh Buckley (Secretary General), Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment; Brian Carroll (Assistant Secretary), Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment

Intent: To lobby for the acceleration of policy introduction and supports for bioenergy in the heating sector and to discuss the items of concern for the bioenergy sector in terms of heat policy including the Renewable Heat Obligation, SSRH and need to roll out biomass fuelled district heating as well as other issued impacting the biomethane, biomass and biofuel sectors.

Methods: Meeting

Politician(s) lobbied: Martin Heydon (Minister), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Darragh O'Brien (Minister), Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment

Intent: Photo launch and announcement by Minister Martin Heydon T.D. and Minister Darragh O'Brien T.D. at Government buildings for the EU Just Transition Funded, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative Biochar Project. The Minister's were brief on the project details, the opportunities for the development of the biochar sector in Ireland, policy requirements and the project objectives.

Methods: Event / Reception

Politician(s) lobbied: Martin Heydon (Minister), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Intent: Lobbied Minister Martin Heydon T.D. during an informal meeting at Government buildings for the transposition by the Irish Government of the recently approved Recovered nitrogen from manURE (RENURE) legislation which has been approved at an EU level. The Minister was briefed on the need for this legislation to be enacted in Ireland to give some certainty to the market regarding investment in this technology and the benefits / opportunities that RENURE could present to Ireland.

Methods: Meeting

Politician(s) lobbied: Michael Healy-Rae (Minister of State), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Intent: To lobby Minister Healy-Rae and the Department for the introduction of a wood fuel drying infrastructure capital support scheme. This scheme was proposed to support wood fuel producers and Wood Fuel Quality Assurance (WFQA) Scheme members who have to upgrade their wood fuel drying facilities to comply with the wood fuel moisture content requirements set out under the solid fuel regulations.

Methods: Submission

Politician(s) lobbied: Kevin 'Boxer' Moran (Minister of State), The Office of Public Works; John Clendennen (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas

Intent: To brief Minister Moran and Deputy Clendennen on the work of the association and to lobby them both for supports for biomass fuelled appliance at a domestic home level in Ireland. Both TD's were briefed on the work of IrBEA and the importance of policy and supports for the development of the bioenergy sectors of biomass, biogas/biomethane, biofuels, biochar, energy crops and wood fuels under the WFQA in Ireland.

Methods: Meeting