Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. We all share the same ambition but I fear there is now a growing gap sometimes between the aspiration and delivery. It is not just in relation to energy. We have been discussing this ad nauseam in terms of different areas of society. Seven phase 1 projects have maritime area consents, as the Minister mentioned, totalling around 4.2 GW, yet none are near construction. The delays in both grid readiness and planning are stalling process. I appreciate the Minister's involvement in trying to get things moving, particularly from a planning perspective and I appreciate how difficult it is. However, EirGrid's offshore grid connection policy is not due until 2026. It will be early next year, so not too far away. Developers still do not have clarity on connection costs or timelines. The maritime area planning regime, while welcome, has no statutory decision timelines. Anything around here needs timelines. An Coimisiún Pleanála lacks the resources and the expertise to process these applications quickly.

See this speech in context