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

The Department's assessment is that auctions are not the best option for renewable energy project support. For this reason, the Department is moving towards supporting community energy projects through a non-competitive renewable energy support scheme. This will take community projects out of the auction practice.

If the Deputy wants more details about the results of the auctions beyond what has been published, she can contact my office. I will be happy to try to assist in that way.

My Department has analysed the challenges for community energy projects.

They are not all about price or finance; a lot of it is to do with information because it is a complex process. The SEAI has been tasked with providing as much information as possible to enable community energy projects to go ahead and provide things like technical, financial and legal services through the community enabling framework. The Department is trying to find every way it can to enable community energy projects to happen and take them out of the auctions process.

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