Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. O'Rourke for his presentation. My first question concerns the planning process that Coillte is currently engaging with. Since the ESB has a relationship with Coillte, I believe it is important that Mr. O'Rourke might address this issue. I am aware of one very large project in east Clare that is being processed for planning through An Bord Pleanála. From my own engagement the community I believe that there has not been the appropriate level of engagement with the community that would be expected. To some extent this is the result of the Covid crisis and the inability of people to meet in public forums. It is a fact that people are not circulating, they are not going to the pub or the church, so they are not meeting and are not even aware that the process is under way. I ask that the ESB and Coillte, because they are involved in projects, would delay the submission of applications until such time as we are out the other end of this, or that they find a more prominent way of engaging with people. I do not believe it is appropriate to move ahead as they have done on that particular project.

We have all signed up to the commitments on renewables by 2030, and rightly so. I put it to Mr. O'Rourke, however, that the ESB from its early stages was ahead of time in its thinking and was always looking to the next phase of development and the next engineering phase. With its relationship with Coillte the ESB is really just doubling down on what is now older technology. Why has the ESB not moved more aggressively towards the generation of electricity offshore? The opportunity is there. It is very clear that the future is there. Large multinationals are looking at that area and advancing it. Why is the ESB sitting back and effectively doubling down on the onshore technology? If the ESB was delivering, as Mr. O'Rourke said at the outset, on its mandate for the country, the ESB would be looking at offshore.