Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Whatever Deputy Doherty's view is of the future of the Green Party or my future, the Green Party has always been clear about what our policies should be. Those policies have always been about future-proofing this country in the context of energy by improving energy efficiency and making energy affordable for residents and for the people of our country in general. On the previous occasion were in government, we introduced higher standards of energy efficiency in housing. We have seen the benefit of having built that more energy efficiency housing over the last couple of years. We have always been clear that the route we need to take is to invest in renewable energy, including solar and offshore and onshore wind energy. Credit should be given to EirGrid for its magnificent work over the past decade. When the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, previously held office, he set a target of 40% of electricity to be generated from renewables. That target has been met. We have now set a target of 80%, which will be met because we have also improved the target for offshore renewables to 7 GW. We also have to raise onshore wind and solar energy targets to that level.

Sinn Féin has launched its renewable energy policy today. It is great to see that it is a ringing endorsement of everything the Green Party has been saying for years and the Government policies that we are implementing at the moment. Sinn Féin is calling for reform of the planning system. Deputy Doherty might be aware that we are going through a significant reform of the planning system. That is being led by the Attorney General. I am glad to see the Deputy supports that. He also called for a dedicated environmental court. He may have seen the announcements last week that progress has been made on a dedicated planning and environmental court to assist with the complexity of many planning cases and appeals, and to assist and enable people who have the right to seek justice under the terms of the Aarhus Convention. Access to judicial reviews will be dealt with in a timely and speedy manner by a dedicated court.

In its energy policy document, Sinn Féin calls for €2.1 million for environmental NGOs, which is the exact figure that the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Commissions has apportioned to the environmental NGOs. I am glad to see Sinn Féin's endorsement of that. Sinn Féin also calls for the resourcing of EirGrid, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, and An Bord Pleanála. I understand that 67 people have recently been appointed to positions in the CRU. There are extra positions in An Bord Pleanála, especially for maritime planning. Extra resources have been allocated to the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, which will be critical to the delivery of offshore renewables.

Sinn Féin is seeking to expand renewable energy. I totally agree with it on that, so I thank Deputy Doherty.