47. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the role he envisages for sustainable bio-liquids, renewable liquid fuels and other lower carbon heating solutions in reducing emissions from rural homes during their transition away from fossil fuel heating; and whether such fuel options could provide an interim decarbonisation pathway for such households. [65878/26]

The Government recognises that sustainable bio-liquids, renewable liquid fuels and other lower-carbon heating solutions may have an important role to play in reducing emissions from rural homes as part of the transition away from fossil fuel heating.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland assessed a range of decarbonisation options for homes and businesses, including heat pumps, district heating, liquid biofuels such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), biomass and biogas. The study concluded that electric heat pumps represent the optimal pathway for decarbonising building heat, with district heating also expected to make a significant contribution. However, it also recognised that sustainable bioenergy may have a role in buildings where alternative options are required.

This is particularly relevant in the case of some rural dwellings where factors such as building age, location, construction type or the cost of deep energy upgrades may make the deployment of heat pumps or connection to district heating networks more challenging. In such circumstances, sustainable bio-liquids, renewable liquid fuels, biomass, biogases or other lower-carbon heating technologies may provide viable decarbonisation options.

The Programme for Government 2025 includes a commitment to target older homes that continue to rely on oil-fired heating systems for transition to renewable heating solutions and to consider the use of sustainable biofuels to reduce emissions from existing home boilers where deep retrofits are not possible in the short term. In that context, sustainable biofuels such as HVO may have potential to act as an interim decarbonisation pathway for certain households while longer-term solutions are being developed or become more feasible.

My Department is also progressing the introduction of a Renewable Heat Obligation which will require suppliers of fossil heating fuels to ensure that a proportion of the energy they supply is renewable. Under current proposals, renewable fuels that meet the sustainability criteria of the Renewable Energy Directive, including HVO and other sustainable bioliquids, will be eligible under the scheme.

While heat pumps and district heating remain the principal long-term solutions for decarbonising heat, the Government recognises that sustainable bio-liquids and other renewable heating fuels may have a complementary role in supporting emissions reductions, particularly in rural homes where alternative decarbonisation options are not currently practical or economically feasible.