Mr. Dara Ó Maoldhia:

Many European countries already have hydrogen strategies up and running so we are a bit behind the playbook there. The sooner we get it, the better. Groups like us are working on it. We are working in a vacuum. The Government has not presented us with a strategy. On Deputy Conway-Walsh's point about the Corrib gas field and all the difficulties with the local community, I do not know if a proper study has been carried out in respect of how that could be done differently. That is what we are interested. When there is an energy project around our islands, we do not want to be the voice of the opposition. We want to be the voice of the people who feel that it is our project as well as the Government's project. It is not that we want to own the project; it is that we want to feel sufficiently engaged with the project in order that we can claim it partly as ours. In other words, we want to ensure that we are going to get as many of the benefits from this project as are possible for a local community to get. Obviously, if there are boats going in and out to offshore wind farms, we will need places for the boats to tie up, crews for the boats and particular skills. All of that could be facilitated for island or coastal communities. Ros an Mhíl is obviously going to play a big role. We want to make sure that develops and is not overlooked. I do not know if the members appreciate the fact that for the three islands of the Aran Islands, Ros an Mhíl is like part of our islands. On Achill, there is a bridge. Both sides of the bridge are Achill, really. It is not just the island side of it. The other side of the bridge is just as much part of it. There is a hotel there. It is the same with us. Ros an Mhíl is really part of the Aran Islands. The fishermen who work from Ros an Mhíl are islanders. The boat owners and many of the ferry crew members are islanders. We park our cars on Ros an Mhíl. It is part of the Aran Islands. If Ros an Mhíl develops, the Aran Islands will also develop and be better from it. Údarás na Gaeltachta is planning to have a renewable energy park there. That is exactly what we want, as well as a deepwater port for bigger boats to come in. That would all be tremendous growth. Let us hope that it happens and is not just put on the long finger.

We are working out, off the top of our heads, how a local community can best engage with a large offshore developer. We are flying by the seat of our pants to see how that would work. It would be great for a study to be done on that which would clarify how not to do it. We would like to know what was wrong with the Corrib development that it did not engage the community in the proper way and how we can do it properly from here on in with all these major developers. I would love to see a study on that, with proper clear guidelines for the Government as well as for local communities on how to best engage with these big developers. We are engaging with the Sceirde Rock developers. We are already in touch with some of the people involved in that. We are discussing with them how we can facilitate the project. It is not just about how we can benefit; it how we can facilitate it. If these developers feel they have the support of coastal and local communities, it is much easier for them to work. It is to everybody's benefit.