Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 1 March 2022
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action
Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion
Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the witnesses. I will try to be brief with my questions. I have a question for the ESB and IWEA. The constraint that seems to permeate every level in this system is capacity. The witnesses mentioned some figures. Has there been an assessment at a State or departmental level of workforce planning? What additional resources would be needed? Do the witnesses know what type of forum might be needed to drive the transformational change required? Is it a matter for the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, agencies or the Department of the Taoiseach? What do those forums look like? Who is at the table?
The supply chain has been mentioned. Mr. Moran mentioned the report stating we should do what we can do well. Where are the immediate opportunities in Ireland for jobs in renewables and offshore wind?
I have another question for IWEA. Senator Dooley mentioned onshore wind being controversial and offshore wind being less controversial, and that we had potentially reached the maximum amount of onshore wind generation. That is not my understanding of the climate action plan. Will the witnesses give us a sense of the future of onshore wind? Will they speak about what is done well with planning and the lessons from that, as well as the stated timeline for wind energy guidelines?
My next questions are for the ESB and IWEA. Are they saying we will potentially miss our targets if we do not get this right? If we get it right, based on everything the witnesses outlined, what is the upper level of ambition? Are the Government's targets about right? Is there potential to go beyond them?
I have a question about hydrogen for Dr. Carton, Ms Dempsey and Mr. Daly. We have talked about a green hydrogen strategy. Will they outline the benefit of a strategy? In fairness, the Government is doing a lot in this area. What is the benefit of a strategy on paper? What might it contain? What potential is there for the decarbonisation of the heavy goods sector?