Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 24 March 2022

Public Accounts Committee

Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020

9:30 am

Mr. William Walsh:

The actions that we can take are being accelerated now. There is a focus in government and industry to get those actions taken. Indeed, a whole jigsaw has to be put together to get there. The supply chain to get materials in to build the offshore farms is one of them. The consent in terms of planning and a fast process for developers is another. There needs to be planning certainty for developers in terms of investment coming in. Things are moving but from an SEAI and decarbonisation perspective, we cannot move fast enough on this. We are conscious of the rights of communities to be involved and consulted with, and to benefit from the development of our wind energy ambitions.