David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his remarks. There is an offshore wind conference in Dublin today and I attended it for quite a while. I am buzzing after being there for most of the day. The interest in the room was amazing. The people there are hugely impressive in their expertise and enthusiasm to drive onward. The potential for Ireland from offshore renewable energy is virtually limitless. People today were describing it as an industrial revolution. Artificial intelligence, AI, has been described as a fourth industrial revolution, but this is another one. We have what is probably the second greatest wind resource in the world off our coasts. Next month it will be 20 years since our only offshore wind farm was commissioned. It is off the Arklow Bank. We have had no offshore farms since. We have had plenty onshore and that is good, but from listening to people today, a huge amount of work has been done by government in the recent past, especially this Government and the previous one. There has been a huge amount of research, reports and preparatory work done, so we are ready to go. Industry is watching very closely. Not only are we ready to go but, as colleagues have said, our competitors in other countries are ahead of us and they are moving very fast.

There is a concern about the skills shortage we may have.

A lot of work has been done on that issue, which has also been highlighted. Green Tech Skillnet has produced a document on the matter. It proposes establishing a skills development fund, attracting workers from abroad and managing skills in senior roles. Offshore qualifications, construction management skills, maritime training and skills in health and safety, enterprise and electrical work are all needed. What also came across very well today was the importance of the environment and ensuring that what we do does not have a negative impact on the environment. That was stressed again and again, as were the relationship with the fishers and the role they play. This is not simple stuff. It is complicated and challenging but the rewards are absolutely amazing.

I join with the Minister of State in welcoming the report his Department published under the former Minister, Deputy Coveney, Powering Prosperity - Ireland's Offshore Wind Industrial Strategy, and the actions that are to flow from that. I encourage the Minister to ensure that those actions take place as soon as possible. For instance, the centre of excellence that has been mentioned should be established straightaway.

The other thing that comes across is the potential to create green hydrogen from wind energy. That is another game-changer. In my part of the world, which is also the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach's part of the world, we have an oil refinery. It is working ahead - I was going to say "powering ahead" - to develop green hydrogen but, again, it needs the offshore wind. Last week, committee members visited the Port of Cork. I was taking aback to learn that, as has been said, the Doyle Shipping Group has withdrawn from any involvement in offshore renewable energy for its own very understandable reasons. Perhaps it will change its mind eventually but it has withdrawn. That leaves the Port of Cork to stand alone.

The port has planning permission to expand and needs to do so. If it is going to be an assembly point for turbines, it needs a physical expansion. Apart from Belfast, it is the only port in Ireland with planning permission to do this. That permission runs out next year. The problem is that the port may not get permission again. If it does not start work by the end of this year, it will not happen. It could find it very challenging to get planning permission again. I brought this up in a Topical Issue in the Chamber earlier this week. The problem is that if the Port of Cork cannot expand and develop, there is nowhere else available and our competitors are moving forward very quickly. This is pretty scary stuff. All the plans and research we have done could be for naught if we do not get our act together on this. The port needs approximately €120 million. I am not sure where that money could come from because state aid rules may be a problem. However, with all the reports, talk and ambition we have, we need physical action on these decisions and, as I keep saying, the diggers in place to make this happen. Otherwise, these turbines will be assembled in Wales and towed over to be put in place off our coast. Let us consider the loss in that regard. Colleagues and the Minister of State have talked about the potential for employment, skills and research. That will all be lost. In fact, it will cost a great deal of money to tow these turbines to a point off our coast from a foreign port. I am talking about fixed bottom turbines rather than floating turbines. Floating turbines are a while away yet, although that is where the greatest potential is, especially off the west coast. However, there is a bit of work to be done on that.

I join with colleagues in saying that we need to move on this pretty quickly. The draft south coast DMAP is to be announced tomorrow. That is very welcome. People are anticipating that it will be very positive and that it can be moved forward with. One of the issues with the DMAPs is that developers should really be able to choose where they want to go, if possible. I am not sure whether that is the case. It is something that we need to seriously look at.

A lot of what I wanted to say has been said. I will stop at that. This has great potential. A lot of work has already been done on it. We are on the cusp of really great things. We really need to move on it now. The only place where this can be done straight away is in Cork. The planning permission is in place but we need a decision on it. I am not just saying that because I am from Cork. I have been told that there is no other place in the State where this stuff can be assembled and brought out from.

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