David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome today's motion and the fact that we now have the DMAPs for the south coast. I am very supportive of offshore renewable energy and its importance to the future infrastructure needs of the south east in particular, but also the State and the island, as well as its importance for Ireland reaching its climate action targets, becoming more carbon-neutral and also in terms of new investment coming into regions.

I met Waterford Port several times in the past two years. I have made it a priority of mine to advance its asks and needs. When we look at the south east and the potential for offshore renewable energy there, Waterford Port must be part of that. It has a plan to play its part in the servicing and maintenance of offshore renewable energy, ORE. It is not in competition with Rosslare Europort. There is space for both ports in the south east to play a very constructive and positive role in ORE in the region.

The potential is wider than that. We had very good meetings as well in the south east, not just with the two ports, but also with the South East Technological University, which has a role to play as well. There are ambitious plans in place that will require resources and commitment, but if we want to reach the goal of energy independence and set ourselves aside from other regions and countries then the direction of travel - others can have different opinions - is that we must take climate action seriously. Industry knows what is required and that regulation is coming. It also knows that those areas that are looking at energy independence, infrastructure, and offshore renewable energy are ahead of the curve, and they are the places they will want to invest. There is no point in companies investing and locking themselves into a region that is still dependent on carbon, which everybody knows is going to change quite rapidly.

If we want to reach the climate action targets that we have set, this is a key part of it. We can talk about the role of individuals, as that is important, but there is a big and important role for the State in regard to energy infrastructure.

I welcome the publication of the DMAPs. There must be ongoing engagement with communities, which has been the case in this instance. I refer to fishing communities and people who live on the coast who have concerns about environmental impacts. Those concerns are important. It was all part of the process, but there must be continuous engagement. There will always be people who will have concerns. People will still raise concerns even when we land on a solution. At some point the Minister will have to call it. At other points, he will have to say: "Here are the maps, this is what is going to be auctioned. We need to move. We need to be ready for this and then we need to deliver." I get that. I appreciate that, but we must always engage and listen to communities and those who have concerns.

I urge the Government to back the port in Waterford. It must look at a plan where both ports complement the other, so that they are not in competition. The Government must also ensure there are links with the university and others who want to be world leaders, and exemplars, even in this State, in relation to offshore renewable energy. If they have the capability, vision, drive, and the management and the people to do it, then we must provide the resources to let them do it. The DMAP is an important component part of the process but equipping ports and resourcing them is equally if not more important.

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