Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We also have to improve the road infrastructure. Regarding the offshore renewable projects, there are more than 36 new projects that are either in design or final stages. Half of them are in the Irish Sea. It is critical to meeting our obligations and reaching our target of 80% renewable energy by 2030 that we have the necessary infrastructure in the port. As I said before in this House, we have updated our legislation to provide for the planning and consent process around delivery of offshore renewable infrastructure. The maritime area regulatory authority, MARA, having its headquarters in Wexford will be a key instrument in adjudicating on all those consents, which are going to be very important. Seven times our landmass is offshore. It is one of those key areas that could be a huge benefit for this country into the future. We look forward to delivering on those aspirations. We will do all we can to accelerate that infrastructure because it is of vital importance.

Deputy Howlin asked detailed questions about state aid. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan also mentioned it, as did Deputy Harkin, who also raised the Inflation Reduction Act. There are huge discussions going on around both pieces of legislation, that is, the critical infrastructure Bill and the zero emissions Bill, and what the detail of those two key instruments is going to be. In all of the bilateral engagements I have had since being appointed Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, I have raised the need for any changes in the Single Market or state aid rules to first be evidence-based. Impact assessments must be carried out to ensure smaller open economies are not adversely affected by such changes.

Second, in terms of our infrastructure and ability to process these large-scale applications, it is very difficult in that countries like France and Germany have a huge advantage. They have the industrial base to reabsorb the investment needed to deliver these high-scale projects. We have a huge amount of work to do. We will continue to work to ensure Ireland's voice is heard. We have built a coalition with a number of countries to ensure we get conclusions into the summit statement, when it is published at the end of the European Council meeting, to ensure that we have assessments that are fair and that we do not endorse a runaway train where Ireland could be adversely affected. Investment into our country, and indeed many industries here, could be affected by this as well, so it is very much at the forefront of our minds.

Deputy Berry raised the €1.8 billion of assets seized by the Central Bank and the competent authorities here from Russia. I am advised that ensuring those assets are used for constructing Ukraine is a very complex process. Ireland has given a significant donation of over €3 million to the International Criminal Court, ICC. That is where work will have to be done on how we put that money to best use and on whether there is a mechanism to achieve that in rebuilding Ukraine. I am aware of correspondence the Taoiseach has had with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. One of the key things said by President Zelenskyy is that he really needs money for the SME sector to rebuild Ukraine. That is going to be a massive challenge into the future.

Obviously, the Black Sea grain initiative has been raised by a number of Deputies and there is an uncertainty as to the duration of the deal that was hammered out. We are very supportive of it because it is key for food security. There is a big challenge because we do not want to see the sanctions that are being brought in throughout Europe being weaponised and used against food security. It is very welcome that David O'Sullivan has now been appointed as the special envoy to deal with third countries. I hope we will see a situation whereby food is in no way impacted by any sanctions brought in. That is key.

Deputy Harkin referred to the cross-border directive. I have not read the Ombudsman's report yet but I will raise this matter with the Taoiseach in relation to his work on the European summit and I will revert back to the Deputy.

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