Mr. Mark Foley:

I will give Senator Dooley a very frank answer to his question. It is premature to give an investment signal for floating offshore wind when Ireland does not have a demand proposition for that energy. We are very clear about 2030 in terms of fixed bed; it is in the climate action plan, etc. Part of the period post-2030 will comprise a long-term development plan and a vision for offshore for the whole of Europe, as discussed at a meeting in Brussels last week. I have no doubt it will play into that. Being very honest, at the moment there is no market. When the market starts to manifest, whether the European element or the deployment of that energy in Ireland, we will then start talking about signals. I have been a developer for ten years, so I know the frustration of developers. It is not reasonable to ask the Government to start putting in place incentives for propositions that do not yet have a route to market. I have no doubt that floating offshore wind energy's time will come.