Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 May 2026
188. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the additional administration costs to NORA of implementing the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation and ReFuelEU Aviation regulations; and whether he accepts that these obligations, combined with the existing NORA levy, represent a double burden on consumers that could be mitigated by permitting greater domestic oil and gas production. [35984/26]
View answerThe Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) implements Article 25.1 of the European Renewable Energy Directive placing a statutory obligation on fuel suppliers to ensure a minimum proportion of renewable fuel in all road transport petroleum products placed on the market in Ireland. The Renewable Transport Fuel Levy provided for under section 44 of the NORA Act 2007 is a nominal amount payable on the sales of all renewable transport fuels in Ireland. It is already set at €0.001 per litre, therefore was not considered under the recent temporary fuel measures announced by Government.
The ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation aims to promote the deployment of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) within the EU while ensuring a level playing field for airlines and fuel suppliers. NORA is designated as the competent authority responsible for the application of the Regulation on fuel suppliers for which Ireland is the responsible Member State pursuant to the provisions set out in the Regulation.
NORA estimate that the annual administrative cost of implementing these schemes is in the region of €1m.
The cost of compliance with the RTFO and the obligations under ReFuelEU Aviation Regulations would not be altered by permitting greater domestic oil and gas production as referenced by the Deputy.
As outlined in the 2022 Policy Statement on Petroleum Exploration and Production, my Department no longer accepts new applications for petroleum authorisations for the exploration and extraction licences of natural gas or oil. This commitment was made effective immediately upon the previous Government taking office in June 2020, and the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 placed this commitment on a statutory basis.
