Renewable energies can bring industry and employment back into Ireland’s rural areas, Fine Gael MEP, Colm Markey has told the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
But he said it is important that revenue from these opportunities remains in rural economies and drives the rural economies.
“We need to create the right environment. We need broadband. We need to reinvigorate our town centres to make them vibrant places for people to live.
“We need to create the educational opportunities for people in rural areas, the very same as there are available in urban areas,” the MEP said.
Taking part in the debate on ‘A long-term vision for the European Union’s (EU) rural areas’ on Monday (December 14), the Midlands North-West MEP said it was important to acknowledge that “agriculture has always been and remains a cornerstone of rural communities”.
“It’s the biggest multiplier in the rural economies. It’s the heart of our food production system and is central to protecting our biodiversity and building a sustainable environment into the future.”
He said it was vital that Ireland and Europe “embrace a new generation of opportunities”.
Renewable energy
MEPs have also been discussing the energy crisis in Europe because of the war in Ukraine with a focus on cleaner energy and renewable sources.
MEPs have agreed that by 2030, a minimum of 35% of all energy consumed in the EU would need to come from renewable, cleaner sources.
They also stated that they want to help people “setting up renewable energy co-operatives in their communities” where they can install solar panels, wind turbines or hydroelectric power jointly.
The Support Scheme for Renewable Heat is a government-funded initiative in Ireland which is designed to “increase the energy generated from renewable sources in the heat sector”.
The scheme is open to commercial; industrial; agricultural; district heating; public sector; and other non-domestic heat users.
Farmers have been actively encouraged by the Irish government to “supplement their energy needs with solar panels” in Ireland. A number of financial supports are available to farmers such as the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS), which provides a 40% grant on a solar PV investment.
But, currently, because of EU rules in relation to grant aided schemes, farmers are unable to sell any surplus energy from solar power to the national grid, if they received any grant aid towards their solar PV investment.
The Fine Gael MEP said discussions are underway in Strasbourg to discuss how current rules could be changed, particularly against the backdrop of the European energy crisis.
Markey said he believes that Irish farmers should be able to benefit from excess energy that they can produce from solar panels on their farms.
“There is the option of installing solar storage that you could use it at a time when there is a greater power demand or you have no other option.
“But to dump it, which seems madness, to power available there is could be supplied onto grid at key times and instead because of regulation it’s been dumped off the system,” he said.