Ms Anne-Marie Clancy:

The programme for Government notes the need to bring communities with us as new energy infrastructure is installed. It also states that we will do this to ensure that community energy can play a role in reaching at least 70% of our renewable electricity, including ensuring there is a community benefit fund in respect of onshore and offshore renewable energy. All offshore wind developments will be supported via the offshore renewable electricity scheme. These developments will all be required to establish community benefit funds prior to the project operation. Owing to the larger scale of offshore wind developments, their contributions are similarly expected to be significantly larger than those of onshore projects. To ensure good governance and effective disbursement of these funds to the local marine and coastal communities, a good practice principles handbook will be published by the Minister. This handbook will add to the renewable electricity support scheme terms and conditions and firmly establish local community participation in all fund decision-making.