Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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I thank Mr. Coyle for his very interesting statement. I am very happy that he framed it around Ardnacrusha and the really brave gamble the State took 100 years ago, a gamble that ultimately paid off. It was a serious vision and a huge step for the State to take. We are at a similar point now, when we can take steps as big as that. I know Ardnacrusha very well as it is only up the river from my home city of Limerick. I used to row up the tail race right up to Ardnacrusha. I know it intimately and my grand-uncle worked on its construction. Mr. Coyle is right to frame the challenge we now have around the success and achievement we had 100 years ago.

Speaking to that bigger challenge we now face, I am very mindful of the conflict happening on the other side of Europe. When we set out these sessions, we were very much thinking of the climate crisis but now, of course, we have a security emergency and energy crisis as well. It is timely if not coincidental that we are having these sessions now. They are very relevant to the discussion that is happening across Europe at the moment. There was a very interesting article in The Irish Timesthis morning by Dr. Hannah Daly, Dr. Paul Deane, Dr. Diarmuid Torney and others in which they talk about Ireland not only providing its own energy needs from its offshore resource but also contributing significantly to Europe's needs. That is the vision we must have and it is one we can achieve. Depending on who one talks to, there is a possibility of harnessing something like 50 GW to 70 GW, maybe more if we take into account the wave resource. I am interested in Mr. Coyle's thoughts on wave energy. I ask that he elaborate on the bigger vision and the industry's view on how that can be accelerated and expedited, accepting that the 5 GW target is a huge challenge as it is.

Officials from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment are going to appear before us in the next hour. This is an opportunity for Mr. Coyle to tell us what we should relay to them if we are to pursue and achieve that bigger vision.