Ms Martina Hennessy:

There are seven projects. Some of them go back a number of years and some are more recent than that. The point to make clear is that these projects will be fully assessed under the new regime. What they have agreed is entry into the new system. When they come before the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications in order to apply for a maritime area consent, if they are deemed viable developers in that they have the financial and technical capability, they will give up any foreshore lease they already have in return for being granted a maritime area consent. That will then give a gateway to the planning system, allowing them go before An Bord Pleanála. The projects would have to be fully assessed from all environmental considerations along with planning. Public consultation would be part of that. Essentially, they are moving from the old regime to the new but will still be fully assessed.

As we mentioned, there is also an open consultation now on how we might best identify the second batch of projects. In order to meet the 2030 targets, the projects need a number of years to be developed - it is typically seven or more years - and we must get projects into the pipeline as soon as possible. That phase 2 consultation is currently open for everyone to contribute, thinking of how we identify the most appropriate projects to move into the new system. Again, the intention must be to ensure the most viable projects get into the planning system so we do not clog that system with projects that are not realistic.

On the question of a State-led approach, we must move forward in order to meet the 2030 targets and get these projects into the development pipeline at the same time as developing and figuring out the best approach to that State-led regime. We are doing work this year on the offshore renewable energy development plan, looking at opportunities and constraints, and we aim to have that completed by the end of this year or January 2023. That information will be available and used as part of that second batch of projects progressing through the development pipeline. To move a fully State-led approach will take a number of years and it is important to acknowledge we are trying to do both in tandem. We are trying to make the approach to assessing projects as they go through the system as robust as possible in the short term while the plan-led approach is being developed.