Mr. Justin Moran:

I thank the committee for the opportunity to appear before it today. On behalf of Wind Energy Ireland, and our more than 200 members, I express our appreciation for the committee's engagement with the renewable energy sector. I am joined today by my colleague, Mr. Paul Kelly, who is the offshore development manager for RWE Renewables. He is also the chairperson of our fishing working group.

It may surprise some members to learn that there was a time when Ireland was a global leader in offshore wind energy. It was 21 years ago last month when our only existing offshore wind farm, Arklow Bank 1, was connected and started producing electricity. At that time, those turbines were the most powerful ever deployed. The lessons learned there were used on countless projects all over Europe, but not in Ireland. It is only in recent years that we have started again to look seriously at developing some of the best offshore wind resources in the world, to seize an incredible opportunity to build a resilient economy, and to revitalise coastal communities with clean affordable energy.

There has been significant progress. The first group of offshore wind projects is in the planning system. The second offshore wind auction will take place later this year. This month marks the second anniversary of the opening of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority. We commend the work of the team there in building the agency and developing a strong regulatory framework. We would like to see more support for MARA to recruit additional staff and we would like to see confirmation of the list of maritime activities which do not require a maritime usage licence. This could reduce the team's workload and speed up timelines. Another welcome development was the Government’s announcement recently of the development of a national designated maritime area plan, DMAP, which will identify sites around Ireland that are suitable for fixed and floating wind energy projects. However, it is clear that Ireland will not meet its target of 5 GW of offshore wind energy connected to the electricity grid by 2030.

In May, we launched our offshore wind action plan. We have copies for committee members today. It sets out the critical actions required to build a competitive, sustainable and robust offshore wind industry. I will highlight two actions that are relevant for this committee. As our April 2023 report showed, it is common across Europe for the state to invest in port infrastructure when there is a clear social and economic case to do so. The Government should update the national ports policy - a consultation on that will take place in September - to facilitate direct investment in our ports to ensure we maximise the economic benefit to Ireland from the development of offshore wind. We want to build Irish offshore wind farms from Irish ports. The Government must also ensure the necessary funding is available to deliver the national DMAP by the end of 2027.

This will be a significant task. It will require a strong core staff team as well as resources for technical, environmental and legal expertise. It will also require extensive consultation in which coastal communities, and those who depend on the sea, need to be empowered and given every opportunity to have their voices heard. It is vital that the resources are put in place to ensure the DMAP is delivered on time if not earlier.

In setting out our hopes for this industry, we are conscious that we are looking to develop offshore wind energy in a shared space. We recognise the importance of Ireland’s seafood industry to the country’s economy and food security, as well as its significance to the local economy and culture of our coastal communities. Over the past three years, representing our industry on the seafood ORE working group chaired by Captain Robert McCabe, we have heard at first hand the pressures facing the seafood industry. We want fishermen to keep fishing and benefit from the opportunities which the development of offshore wind energy will provide.

We ask for the committee’s support in three key asks that are shared by our two industries. First, there should be no effort to ban fishing from all operational wind farms. Fishing takes place within the boundaries of wind farms in Britain. There is no reason this cannot happen here. In the footnotes of my opening statement, there is a link to a video showing how this is being done in Britain. However, fishermen tell us they firmly believe that if wind farms are built, the Government or some other State agency will prevent fishing. It would be very helpful, and would provide reassurance to the seafood industry, if the committee could encourage the Government to give a commitment on this matter and to ensure there is no ban on fishing in all offshore wind sites.

Second, Irish fishermen should be permitted, where their vessels are suitable, to carry out guard duties on offshore renewable developments and support safety at sea. Fishermen in Britain and those registered in the North of Ireland can do this and get paid for it, but Irish fishermen cannot. This issue is set out in more detail in "Use of Fishing Vessels for Commercial Work on ORE Projects - A Guide to Registration" - it is probably not the catchiest of titles - which was produced by the seafood ORE working group.

Third, we want to work with the seafood industry to put in place a national framework agreement for co-operation payments. A fair, transparent and evidence-based system is needed. To put this in place, and to ensure it operates fairly, it is critical that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the relevant agencies, have the resources they need to work with ourselves and the seafood industry to develop, produce and oversee such an agreement.

I thank the committee members for their time. I look forward to seeing the Irish wind energy industry grow into a major source of employment, investment and new opportunities for our coastal communities and all alongside whom we will work with in the maritime area.