Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank our Chairperson, Deputy Quinlivan, and the secretariat staff of the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment for all of their work on this report.

In a time of climate change and energy insecurity, there is an opportunity for industry and coastal communities, working together, to develop a new industrial sector supporting regional development, creating thousands of jobs, and driving sustainable growth. Decarbonising our electricity system is central to the transition to a more sustainable, affordable and secure energy system. Shifting to renewable electricity is crucial for decarbonising the electricity system, as well as facilitating the decarbonisation of other sectors, such as heating and transport.

Delivering clean and affordable electricity is central to the environmental, economic and social development of our State. The current energy crisis is testament to the dangers of relying heavily on fossil fuels. Given the volatility of prices as well as their significant contribution to climate change, with renewables becoming cheaper, on average, than fossil fuels, their costs can also be more stable with the right pricing and renewable energy support mechanisms in place. Central to this is getting offshore renewable energy right.

Sinn Féin does not believe that the benefits of the renewable energy transition have been fully captured yet. We remain sceptical that the Government can harness these benefits. In our 2018 Power in Ireland document, we set out an ambitious and pragmatic plan that would have seen the proportion of renewables provide 80% of electricity demand by 2030. This target was only accepted by Government in 2021. Delayed ambition, a chronic lack of implementation and inadequate planning and resourcing have already put meeting this target in jeopardy. Sinn Féin would prioritise accelerating the transition to renewable energy in a manner which maximises energy security and affordability for individuals and communities. Unfortunately, poor policy choices and a failure to invest by successive Governments has put energy affordability and security in a precarious position.

The failure to realise the potential of our wind and solar resources and thereby reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels at pace has also left us excessively exposed to the negative impacts of energy crises arising from global events that are out of our control. Sinn Féin believes that the decarbonisation of the energy system must be harnessed in a manner which delivers long-term social and economic benefits for Irish society ensuring that our natural resources are translated into national wealth.

Decarbonising our energy system will require significant public and private investment. We believe that this investment can and must be leveraged in a manner which delivers real long-term social and economic benefits for families and communities across this island. Sharing the benefits of the energy revolution and delivering more affordable energy is at the heart of delivering a just transition.

Sinn Féin believes that the State is not pulling its weight when it comes to renewable energy. The Government has to get its act together to bring the pace, urgency and ambition to deliver the plan and actions to realise the full potential of renewables, particularly wind.

Last week, I visited the Port of Cork, which has an area with offshore planning for wind energy. The latter will expire shortly, and there is no hope that work can begin before it does so. The Government must step in to deliver a proper planning system and tackle the decades of inaction on the grid system. Ireland cannot afford a continuation of the stop-start-delay approach. Government must invest in ensuring that we have the necessary port infrastructure to support offshore renewable energy, as well as investing to ensure that we have the necessary skills. This includes significant investment in research, development and innovation, growing domestic manufacturing and upskilling and apprenticeships. Furthermore, the State must ensure that local communities benefit from offshore renewable energy, whether this be in terms of jobs, economic and social benefits, or through energy co-operatives.

In the course of its work, the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, visited Belfast and Cork. This greatly contributed to what is in this report. I thank the clerk to the committee and the committee secretariat for facilitating that.

As a committee, we are very interested in the issue of offshore renewable energy. The reason we are is because we see a clear and valuable opportunity to harness what we have all around us, to work for the benefit of coastal communities and to create those high-paying jobs, but the opportunity is slipping away from us. I encourage all Deputies to read the report and engage with it and I encourage the Government to take on board the suggestions contained in it.

I have to apologise. Neither I nor Deputy Quinlivan will be able to stay for the debate. Unfortunately, we are both caught up with commitments outside of the House.

See this speech in context