Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail)
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I thank Ms Donnelly for her presentation and her ongoing work. She has a very practical approach and that is welcome. This has been a broad discussion but I will focus on the potential of offshore wind. Ms Donnelly rightly identified that comprehensive legislation is going through the Houses and was debated in the Seanad today, namely, the Maritime Area Planning Bill, which will, I hope, set out the important credentials that will be necessary to provide some clarity on planning for those offshore developments. Because I come from County Clare and have represented that constituency, I have met a number of investors, for want of a better word, and operators, who are concerned at the pace the Government has in mind for offshore wind development, particularly on the west coast and in the form of floating technology.

Ms Donnelly identified the great potential for the decarbonisation of our energy mix and the cost, of which there is no doubt, but there is an opportunity we are missing. Because it is relatively nascent technology, it would be ahead of the curve. There is an opportunity for us to develop a long-term base for the construction and development of the technologies that might ultimately be transported and exported throughout the world. By developing the know-how in that regard, there is potential, which I do not see costed in to any of the other discussions. Will Ms Donnelly comment on that? She might indicate her knowledge on or information about the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications in regard to whether it is possible for it to include in the various bid processes the opportunity to bring to the market more quickly offshore floating wind. We know what is happening on the east coast, but my question relates to the more expensive west coast. EirGrid has indicated it is looking at 2030 and beyond, yet investors are champing at the bit and believe they can make this happen more quickly.