Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy O'Rourke for his kind words and I look forward to working with him over the coming years. He is right that our parties share a common aim and ambition in terms of how we place this country at the centre of leadership in tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis.

As Minister with responsibility for climate action, I will lead on delivering our shared commitment to achieve an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030, and to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Renewable energy will be at the heart of this transformation and my Department will drive the renewables revolution such that reliance on fossil fuels is reduced as quickly as possible and to the maximum extent possible.

The programme for Government’s green new deal commits to taking the steps to deliver at least 70% renewable electricity by 2030 by, inter alia: holding the first renewable electricity support scheme, RESS, auction by the end of 2020, with auctions held each year thereafter, including the first RESS auction for offshore wind in 2021; giving cross-Government priority to the drafting of the marine planning and development Bill so that it is published as soon as possible and enacted within nine months; producing a whole-of-government plan setting out how we will deliver at least 70% renewable electricity by 2030 and how we will develop the necessary skills base, supply chains, legislation and infrastructure to enable it; finalising and publishing the wind energy guidelines; developing a solar energy strategy for rooftop and ground-based photovoltaics to ensure that a greater share of our electricity needs is met through solar power; continuing EirGrid’s programme, Delivering a Secure, Sustainable Electricity System, or DS3; implementing the national retrofit plan; and progressing the planning of the necessary offshore grid infrastructure.

Good progress is already being made on a number of these commitments and, next week, projects will compete in the first auction under the RESS auction system. This will deliver new renewable energy projects to the grid at scale, for the first time ever targeting solar farms to power Irish homes. Onshore and offshore wind will also be developed through the RESS auctions, with the first offshore wind auction planned for next year.

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