Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. We have been advised that the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has stated that a permit application from an operator may follow shortly after the commencement of this section of the 1995 Act, which relates to the decommissioning of offshore oil and gas installations. I would like more information on that and the potential impact it may have on our marine environment. Will we have an opportunity to consider and debate this issue or will that responsibility lie entirely with the EPA?

On water pollution, I read over the debate in the Dáil on the Dumping at Sea Act in 1995. It was interesting to note that the Act introduced a prohibition on the dumping of sewage sludge from vessels at sea. It was stated in the Dáil at the time that the "dumping around our coast of raw sewage into the sea can no longer be tolerated". While it was of course right to ban the disposal of raw sewage at sea by ships, 25 years on we continue to pump sewage from the mainland into the seas off our coasts. The EPA's 2020 report found that raw sewage was flowing into our rivers and seas in 35 places in the State. This is a serious public health and environmental issue that stems from the State's historical failure to invest in wastewater treatment facilities over the course of decades. It must be addressed as a matter of priority.

I commend my colleague, Deputy Mac Lochlainn, who pointed out that those involved in fishing are the custodians of the sea. In many parts of the country, anglers and angling groups are the custodians of our inland waterways. In my town of Kells, the Kells Anglers Association has done tremendous work in looking after the Blackwater river and the people involved have a forensic knowledge of the river.

On the issue of offshore wind farms, when this Act was introduced oil rigs off our coast were common and legislation was needed to govern that area but offshore wind farms were not as common. They are a more recent phenomenon. The next decade will see a significant increase in the construction of offshore wind farms, first in the Irish Sea and then, hopefully, that will be followed in the south and west coasts. These construction projects are vital in helping Ireland to achieve our renewable energy targets, reduce our carbon emissions and also position our island to become an exporter of green energy to the EU. This development will give rise to questions regarding the responsible construction of these installations, their impact on the marine environment and the plans for the future when these wind farms may need to be decommissioned or replaced. Has the Minister examined this issue specifically with regard to offshore wind installations? If so, he might address whether this legislation is adequate for this area. It is a prospect which we need to grab with both hands.

See this speech in context