Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 17 April 2024

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Offshore Wind Energy Strategy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Mr. Gary Tobin:

Yes, I am happy to. Again, they are all very good points. Regarding private wires, that is a policy matter for our colleagues in the Department of energy. I know that they are working on it, and they hope to come forward with a policy statement on private wires. In fairness to them, their priority until now has been to get this auction process moving. What we are hearing from both Irish and international industry is that they want these auctions happening, and they want to see progress. That is the most important thing. Definitely, I think private wire is one of the next steps.

With regard to security issues, again, that is kind of outside our remit but clearly critical infrastructure in the world we live in now in Europe will have to be protected.