Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

However, we still do not have legislation to deal with it. My all-party committee produced legislation entitled the offshore renewable energy development Bill and presented it to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources 12 months ago, but we still have not heard anything about it. Nor has the Government done anything to introduce its own Bill.

Nothing in the Bill before the House refers to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. It refers to consultation between the Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, but neither will handle offshore renewable energy. There is no reference to the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. There is no facility for consultation with it. Section 7 amends section 2 of the 1933 Act and states, "Where the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food or the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (being the appropriate Minister) is considering making a lease in accordance with this section, then the Minister so considering shall consult with the other Minister on the matter before deciding on whether or not to make the lease." What about the third Department?

Will the Minister of State explain what the Government is doing to attract inward investment? Through my committee's work, we know that €16 billion is waiting to be invested in wind, wave and tidal energy. Some of that money is drifting to other countries because people have been waiting years on their foreshore licence applications.

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