Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The regional disparities in this country are stark. I was in Cork for the last two weekends for family reasons. I saw that there have been remarkable advances in infrastructure during the Minister's time in office. They have particularly accelerated in recent years. It is in marked contrast to infrastructural advancements in the mid-west, the south east or any other part of Munster. There were advances in those areas in previous years, such as the partial ring road around Limerick when Willie O'Dea was in Cabinet and the road to Waterford when Martin Cullen was in Cabinet. It seems that if there is no Cabinet Minister, no advances are made.

I wonder if that parochialism is part of the reason our offshore wind strategy is so behind the laudable targets planned by the Government. A target is not a plan. Every couple of years the Government comes out with new targets but we do not have a plan to meet those targets. The Shannon area task force launched a report in Ardnacrusha on 8 July last. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, and the Taoiseach were present. The Minister, Deputy Foley, was there to fly the Fianna Fáil flag. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, was there too. It became clear that wind energy, in particular floating offshore wind energy, has the capacity to really revolutionise the State, how we provide energy for our households and how we provide energy for the industries that want to invest in Ireland.

As is often the case with reports in Ireland, there has been little advance since then. Essentially, there are three key demands from the Shannon Estuary task force, one of which is around establishing a DMAP on the west coast. Surprise, surprise - the south coast is progressing in that regard and the west coast, which seems to have the greatest potential from what experts say, has had very little advancement even though Clare County Council has been prepared to offer significant expertise in that area as its contribution.

We need an ORESS offshore wind auction for floating wind. We do not know when that will happen. We need supports for ports. Again, Shannon Foynes Port will have to be developed if we are to harness wind energy capacity off the west coast. There has been very little advance on that. I would like to hear what the Government has to say to that.

See this speech in context