On the 23 December 2025, formal notification of Ireland’s intention to introduce a draft regulation which included a domestic product multiplier under the Renewable Heat Obligation (RHO) was made via the online Technical Regulations Information System (TRIS).
This notification was made following active engagement with the European Commission to ensure no discriminatory practices, or fragmentation of the EU single market.
As part of the notification process, the European Commission issued a request for further information on 16 January, followed by a detailed opinion on 30 March 2026. Receipt of this opinion extends the notification process by a further 3 months, during which time Ireland may not progress with the notified draft regulation.
This extension period relates to the progression the notified draft regulation only, namely the inclusion of an additional certificate applied to each unit of indigenously produced biomethane under the scheme. This extension does not apply to finalisation of the RHO Bill 2025.
Government is committed to delivering a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system. As our heating sector is very reliant on imported fossil fuels, it is a significant contributor to Ireland’s high energy import dependency and carbon emissions, and the introduction of the RHO is a key objective for me, as Minister, to address these challenges.
Priority drafting of the RHO Bill 2025 is underway with the intention to submit to Government for approval and priority publication as part of the summer legislative programme.
