Leinster House lowers carbon emissions

Green Party TD Ciaran Cuffe has welcomed a 9.5% cut in CO2 emissions across Oireachtas buildings in 2009. The Oireachtas Energy Management Plan has succeeded in reducing electricity use by 5.1% and heating by 18.6%.

Deputy Cuffe, a member of the Climate Change Committee said: “I’m delighted to see an almost 10% reduction in energy use in Leinster House and other Oireachtas buildings last year. It shows that with planning, reductions in energy use and real savings can be made.”

Deputy Cuffe said the reduction set an example for other places of work, saying: “As politicians, we can hardly call on others to reduce energy at work, while not doing the same ourselves.”

Reductions were made through smart-metering, changes to heating and cooling schedules and awareness raising through staff. The plan implemented findings of an energy audit carried out on the Oireachtas complex.

"The Houses of the Oireachtas are also replacing one of their gas fired boilers with a woodchip boiler. This biomass boiler has been installed and will be commissioned in the coming months. It will help further reduce the carbon footprint of the Leinster House complex and will aid the market for native Irish wood fuels as well as reducing dependence on imported gas,” said Deputy Cuffe.