Rabbitte 'confident' Ireland can meet 2020 renewable-energy target

Energy Minister Pat Rabbitte has said he is confident that Ireland can meet the target of producing 40% of our electricity from renewable resources by 2020.

"It is the intention to stick to the 2020 targets and it is our conviction, on the basis of expert advice, that we will be able to comfortably realise the 40% target," he said.

"We believe that we have that capacity, principally from onshore wind."

International Energy Agency executive director Maria van der Hoeven said further infrastructure was needed here, along with an improvement in energy efficiency.

"Ireland has a very good policy in place when it comes to renewables," she said. "We have to see to it that (the infrastructure is in place to allow) all this renewable energy that is being produced to get to the end consumer."