Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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I understand that.

The purpose of the amendment is to urge the Minister of State to find some more technically proficient and appropriate way to address this issue on Report Stage. If it is left too much to the discretion of the developer's engagement, we might get good outcomes or we might not. If it is left solely to local lobbying, albeit very well-intentioned, by local authority members, Deputies or community groups we may get results or we may not. Given the significant benefits to private investors from these successful projects, in addition to the tax liabilities of the State, local communities which may feel discommoded or excluded from those benefits have a right to get something additional.

The Minister of State is right in saying we do not have the skills for much of the labour involved both in construction and in operation. Therefore, one of the economic contributions for consideration under a plan could be the contribution to a fund managed by MARA to train people in coastal communities to be able to take advantage of those new jobs. The Minister of State is right that a local labour clause, if it is limited to people from a geographical area, would absolutely be in contravention of several EU laws. The State has employed what are effectively local labour clauses in Grangegorman, for example, but it uses things like the live register or other access points into those employment benefits that are not deemed discriminatory under EU law. I urge the Minister of State and his officials to look at that again.

It would be terrible to have large-scale offshore investment producing very good-quality renewable wind energy which is a benefit potentially to the taxpayer centrally but coastal communities feel they are not getting direct access to some of the benefits for the long term. That would be a shame. If the Minister of State agrees with the intention of the amendment, perhaps he could come back on Report Stage with some suggestions as to how to achieve its objectives.