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

I agree with the Deputy. There is significant potential for Mayo in the development of renewable energy power systems. In the auction process we had last year for the first renewable energy support scheme, four projects were successful in the county - three wind farms and one solar farm as I recall. All four are now going to construction. I understand there is another stream of further potential solar and wind projects, which will likely get into the next auction system that will start this autumn.

I keep going back to the strength of the grid and the debates we had about data centres and so on here. Do we bring some of the industry to where the power is rather than vice versa? In that regard I understand last week EirGrid set out a potential underground route for the north Connacht grid reinforcement project, which is going to be vital. It is both grid and generation, getting the balance right and getting demand and use together. It will take time because it is new technology, in particular floating offshore wind. The big long-term prospect for Mayo is that offshore resource coming ashore and how to use it to develop jobs and industry in the county is one of the questions I am focused on.

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