Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies. I first want to welcome members of the Naval Service, who are in the Public Gallery. All of us who are here, as well as all Irish people, owe them a debt of gratitude for their service. It is a difficult job to go to sea. It is strenuous, arduous and tiring and they are confined, and yet it is vitally important for a nation like ours. This debate is about our maritime economy, our future maritime economy, our clean renewable energy resources that will be in the sea, and the ships that go out and protect our fish stocks, our subsea cables and, in the future, our offshore renewable turbines.

There were questions from some Deputies about how we will marry the interface between our fishermen and the offshore wind industry. How will these things work together? I can tell Deputies that there is a fishing and seafood group for offshore renewable energy that was established to create a best practice model for communications. I understand the group has a draft agreement between the industry and representatives of fishermen which will be published soon.

Deputy Whitmore was absolutely right to point out that the effect on biodiversity does not have to be negative. We should study the effect of enhancement and net gain that is possible from wind turbines. Clearly, it will not be possible to fish right up to the base of a wind turbine. There is, of course, the possibility there for enhanced spawning and breeding grounds for fish and seafood.

There were questions from some Deputies about the availability of skills and education for people who will staff these offshore renewable wind resources. A task force was set up a couple of years ago by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. It has been building strategies around the jobs that will be required for the green economy as well as the future skills that will be required. There are publications coming from that Department all the time. We face the same challenge in the retrofit area. Training centres have been set up around the country for that.

There were also questions about broad areas of interest. The report on those broad areas of interest was meant to be indicative. The final broad areas will be changed and those changes will reflect the public consultation.

There were questions from some Deputies on the hydrogen strategy. The hydrogen strategy is due to be published next month, which is June.

We are increasingly aware of the crucial role of offshore renewables in our transition to a sustainable and secure energy future. This urgency of action was highlighted at the North Sea Summit, which was attended by the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy Ryan, last month. At that summit, a regional agreement was reached on accelerating the deployment of offshore renewables and grids. That summit also highlighted the delivery of key implementation milestones by this Government over the past three years.

Within this context, the preliminary results of Ireland’s first offshore wind auction, ORESS 1, mark a pivotal moment in our clean energy transition. With a combined capacity of more than 3,000 MW, this first auction has delivered sufficient offshore wind to power more than 2.5 million Irish homes. This is by far the largest volume of renewable energy Ireland has ever procured at auction. At a price of €86 per megawatt hour, the average auction clearing price is one of the lowest that has been seen in any global emerging offshore wind market. Of course, in future auctions, the price will be lower. There will be a price at the start when the infrastructure is not in place and when the industry is not developed. As countries develop and go through future rounds, the price will come down. That price of €86 per megawatt hour that was achieved compares with an average wholesale electricity price of more than €200 per megawatt hour during the past 12 months.

ORESS 1 is the clearest signal yet that offshore wind will deliver a cheap, sustainable and secure indigenous alternative to imported fossil fuels over the decade to come. At a local level the development of these first and future offshore projects will be overwhelmingly positive for rural coastal and local communities. They will create sustainable local jobs, tens of billions of euro of inward investment and wholesale societal gains. In the case of the ORESS 1 projects alone, the mandatory community benefits fund will deliver more than €24 million each year for the same local communities for up to 20 years, and over the past three years, the Government has successfully established a framework for offshore wind development in Ireland. That framework includes the publication of the national maritime planning framework, which is Ireland's first marine spatial plan, the creation of an entirely new marine planning system through the Maritime Area Planning Act, the establishment of the Government's offshore wind delivery task force, and advancing the delivery of two interconnector projects. In establishing the framework for offshore wind, this Government has delivered.

Recognising their crucial future, the Government will support the development of indigenous ports through a new national ports policy. To accelerate this and other initiatives, we are implementing a long-term whole-of-government offshore energy programme, mobilising all stakeholders towards a common objective. When it comes to offshore renewables, this Government will continue to deliver to the maximum.

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