Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

I again thank the Deputy. On the mapping question, as part of the RED, there is, as the Deputy knows, a legal obligation on member states to carry out co-ordinated mapping for the deployment of renewable energy and related infrastructure at a national territory level by May 2025. The directive requires that we show those areas available for renewable energy and those that have the potential to be developed for renewable energy. The Deputy wants that which has already happened to be mapped. I do not see an issue with that. I will relate that message to the Minister.

We can review the community benefit fund. Many countries have spoken positively about the fact we have that community benefit dimension to our renewable strategies, particularly for wind energy. The Minister would be open to reviewing the community benefit fund. I am particularly interested in getting the mapping done. The RED is particularly significant in terms of being able to have an overarching clause which states it is for the benefit of society as a whole that we build an offshore wind farm because of climate change and so on. That is what we need.

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