I propose to take Questions Nos. 187, 188 and 189 together.
All biofuel supply with an end use in transport is required to meet the sustainability criteria under the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) for the purpose of environmental protection and emissions reduction, while ensuring that EU biofuel producers are not disadvantaged and promoting further development of advanced biofuel production within the EU.
The National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) is the competent authority in Ireland responsible for ensuring compliance by fuel suppliers with the EU sustainability criteria and requirements for renewable transport fuel placed on the market set out under RED III, within its administration of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) on fuel suppliers established to implement Article 25(1) of RED III.
The roles and responsibilities for biofuel sustainability compliance are set out in the European Union (Biofuel Sustainability Criteria) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 33/2012). Compliance is assured through an EU sustainability certification framework, involving certification of economic operations globally from feedstock collection to biofuel production, storage and supply, conducted by certification bodies against standards established under EU-approved Voluntary Schemes. The NORA is the competent authority for oversight of certification bodies activity related to biofuel supply in Ireland and provides ongoing assurance on the sustainability of the current supply of biofuel to Ireland under the RTFO.
In January 2025, based upon its analysis indicating concerns of possible biofuel fraud risk in global supply of POME, the NORA recommended the removal of national incentives under the RTFO for POME-derived biofuel products. In 2025, I signed regulations that excluded biofuel produced from POME from the award of additional Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates, responding to ongoing concerns about the integrity of the global supply of this biofuel feedstock. The NORA has informed my Department that no POME-derived biofuel has been placed on the market in Ireland since these regulations came into effect on 1 July 2025.
As measures taken to date have been effective at reducing the volume of POME-derived biofuel being placed on the market in Ireland, at this time it is not considered necessary to take further steps to limit the amount of POME derived biofuel supply into Ireland. My Department and the NORA will keep this under review and assess further options within the current legal framework as required.
The concerns with regard to sustainability of biofuel produced from Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) are EU-wide and not specific to Ireland. Work is ongoing through the Committee established under the RED III by the European Commission and Member States to strengthen the European oversight regime for sustainable biofuels. This involves revision of the implementing regulations on sustainability certification and adoption of a delegated act supporting the mandatory use of the Union database of biofuels to track and trace EU biofuel supply. The European Commission is in the final stages of operationalising a Union Database for Biofuels and Biogas (UDB) to enable the digital tracking and tracing of biofuels and biogas feedstocks and blending. The Department of Transport and the NORA are engaging closely with the Commission on the revision of legislation and the implementation of the UDB.
