Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy. In terms of the reset agreement, for want of a better word, it gives certainty to the sector regarding what the operators have and their investment strategy. We were facing a potential further loss of quota and it having to be addressed on a multi-annual basis. That would not assist operators in the sector in financing their projects or businesses over the years ahead. The agreement, therefore, gives certainty. It also, of course, recognises that the loss of quota is still significant. We talked about it earlier, and I do not want to underestimate it in any way and the pressure it has put on the sector. This agreement, however, does give certainty as we progress.

Turning to the offshore renewables aspect, we have significant commitments to achieve our decarbonisation targets by 2030 and onwards to 2050. There is already some activity in this space and we hope by 2030 to have gone a long way towards achieving a further 5 GW of electricity from offshore renewables, principally via offshore wind. These targets are exacting but we are progressing well in this regard. We have a further commitment that by 2040 we will have a further 15 GW to 18 GW, bringing us to a total of 20 GW being generated offshore by 2040. This is important from two perspectives, including decarbonising our electricity grid and then also further decarbonising our economy generally so we are moving away from fossil fuels. In doing so, our demand for electricity will grow significantly. I think at the minute we use about 6 GW of electricity on the island of Ireland.

By 2030 we are hoping to have another 5 GW of that offshore. Some of the onshore activity is already there so we want to continue to progress that. There are real opportunities for coastal communities in providing, through some of the biggest ports, for this sort of main work. Then there will be ongoing maintenance activity that can take place from smaller harbours. There are significant opportunities in the years ahead.

The Government is also committed through the national designated marine area plans, legislation for which is already there in the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021. A area has been successfully designated off the south-east coast. As it has not been judicially reviewed, this was a positive outcome in terms of the regulatory approach that was taken. We are now moving that forward and will be making a further statement shortly on the details of how we intend to progress this on a national basis. We are hoping by the end of 2027 to have a national designated maritime area plan, DMAP, which will identify other sites around the coastline that are suitable for fixed and floating offshore wind opportunities. We see that as a very significant enabler of local communities.

It is not going to be without its challenge because these are shared spaces. There is transport, leisure, fishing and now when we introduce offshore renewables there is potential for conflict. Part of the role I have been given is to try to ease that, insofar as we can, between the competing interests of the Department of fisheries on the one hand and the marine aspect, comprising marine planning, the marine environment and the marine protected areas that we have to put in place as well. It is challenging, it is exciting and it has huge potential to assist us in decarbonising our economic activity. We have an abundance of wind offshore that other countries, quite frankly, do not have. Depending on grid development over the coming years there is potential to have an impact in exporting electricity from that source into a European grid. We have some interconnection at the minute, particularly through the Celtic interconnector, but that would have to be strengthened and expanded. There are also opportunities being developed and looked at through electrolysis and converting that potential abundance of electricity into hydrogen and ammonia. We all recognise that aviation is a contributor to climate change.