Dáil debates

Wednesday, 8 December 2021

Offshore Renewable Energy: Motion [Private Members]

 

10:02 am

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I move:

That Dáil Éireann:

recognises that: — Ireland has one of the largest maritime areas in the European Union (EU), seven times larger than our land mass, and covers an area of almost 500,000 sq. km, representing a 220-million-acre marine resource;

— there is potential to develop over 70,000 megawatts of offshore renewable energy, providing Ireland with the opportunity to be a major exporter of green energy, powering much of Europe by 2050 via wind generated electricity and hydrogen;

— while green hydrogen is in its infancy as a technology, Ireland is in a unique position to exploit its full economic and employment potential as an early technology mover;

— exploiting the full offshore renewable capacity will lead to an investment of over €100 billion, providing for a sustainable jobs dividend within our coastal communities, particularly along our western seaboard;

— the Oireachtas is progressing the Maritime Area Planning Bill 2021 which will provide a legal basis for the long-term protection and sustainable development of the maritime area, while also ensuring that there are clear timelines and a streamlined process in place for developments;

— our energy system is dominated by imported fossil fuels, in particular oil, which is used for transport as well as in residential heating and in the industrial sector, and natural gas, which is primarily used for electricity generation, industry, services, and residential heating;

— renewable energy not only avoids emissions but increases energy security and protects the long-term sustainability of our economy; and

— the Government has designated seven offshore wind ‘Relevant Projects’ which are seeking to supply over 3,000 megawatts of electricity to the national grid; notes: — that the Climate Action Plan 2021 commits to increase renewables to meet 80 per cent of our electricity needs by 2030;

— that if Ireland is to achieve its renewable energy commitments by 2030 it will require a doubling of offshore generation capacity off Ireland’s eastern and southern coasts;

— that offshore renewable development in Ireland is currently developer-led and there is real concern, despite Government policy to transition to a plan-led approach, that this will be sacrificed in order to achieve the ambitious 2030 commitments; and

— the process for the second auction under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) commences on 7th December, 2021, with the goal of increasing technology diversity by broadening the renewable electricity technology mix, with plans to soon commence the first offshore competition under the RESS (ORESS 1); and calls on the Government to: — immediately draft an offshore renewable action plan to bring together all of the key stakeholders, including all third-level and further education institutions and development agencies, including the Western Development Commission, to draw up a strategy to ensure that all possible offshore sites are fully considered in terms of the economic benefits, including high value jobs, which they can bring from the exploitation of the massive renewable energy resources off our coast;

— ensure that the proposed Maritime Area Regulatory Authority is established, resourced and operational within the next 12 months, to capitalise on the growing demand for offshore renewable deployment;

— establish an offshore renewable development authority similar to the Industrial Development Authority that will drive a fully coordinated national action plan, and will have responsibilities ranging from research and development and supply chain development to the commercial deployment of renewable energy, ensuring that Ireland becomes the leading global clean energy exporter;

— direct the offshore renewable development authority to coordinate the Government implementation of the offshore renewable action plan, to source financial investment and to attract multinational players as well as promoting joint ventures with domestic enterprises and third-level institutions;

— instruct Enterprise Ireland, in conjunction with the offshore renewable development authority, to stimulate the establishment of indigenous businesses in the renewable energy supply chain through a national renewable energy business accelerator programme;

— instigate the urgent drafting of a green hydrogen strategy involving the emerging industry across the EU as well as key domestic stakeholders to assess hydrogen’s suitability as a key future energy source for our economy and identify the main infrastructure investment requirements;

— designate Foynes Port and the Shannon Estuary as a European centre of excellence for the manufacture of offshore floating renewable energy technology;

— invest in the upgrading of all our ports with the capacity to facilitate the assembly, deployment and maintenance of offshore renewable technologies;

— immediately design a strategy in conjunction with the European Commission to fund and construct an Atlantic electricity interconnector which would land west/southwest coast renewable energy directly into the mainland European electricity grid; and

— ensure that all offshore renewable energy rights issued will not just be dependent on the speed of commissioning and price to the consumer but also take into consideration the annual community rebate along with the domestic employment generated in the manufacture, deployment, and maintenance of such infrastructure.

As the Minister will know, Ireland has a 220-million-acre maritime resource off our coast, where there is the potential to develop over 70,000 MW of offshore renewable energy. This motion calls on the Government to think outside the box and implement ambitious solutions to clean up our energy supply, provide sustainable long-term employment opportunities and ensure that Ireland becomes a global renewable energy exporter. A radical overhaul of Ireland's industrial development policy is required if we are to achieve our climate goals and fully grasp the economic opportunities off our coast. This cannot be done on a piecemeal or haphazard basis, as we have seen in the past. We must have a very strategic focus on what is in Ireland's long-term interests rather than just allowing this to be developer-led.

As I have said, there is potential to generate 70 GW of clean energy off our coasts. That is enough not only to meet our own long-term needs, but to meet the demands of both France and Austria as well. We need to lead from the front in this regard. We need to establish an Industrial Development Authority of the seas to become a major global clean energy exporter, just as the Arab states have done with oil. We do not want to wait for another mainstream moment, a situation in which private developers would decide how to exploit Ireland's renewable energy resources and who that energy is supplied to. This is just like what happened with mainstream renewable power and Element Power's plans to erect 1,000 massive wind turbines right across the midland counties to supply electricity to the United Kingdom. Families around this country who are struggling to pay their electricity bills are the ones who will end up funding this speculation which, as the Minister knows, is beginning to start again. There has also been exploitation in the past when grid connections were auctioned off.

I fear that Ireland will end up giving away its renewable energy rights in order to hit our 2030 and 2040 targets in an attempt to be the good boy at the top of the class while electricity customers continue to pay for the most expensive electricity in Europe. We have to exploit this resource instead. We must design a bidding process based on job creation along our west coast and ensure that the State secures a royalty for every single megawatt generated and supplied to both our national grid and to the proposed Atlantic interconnector, which would supply electricity directly into the European grid from our western coastal waters. We must ensure that we have the cheapest electricity in Europe for our domestic customers. The way to do this is to establish an offshore renewable development authority. As I have said, this would be similar to the Industrial Development Authority and would drive a fully co-ordinated national action plan. The authority would also have responsibilities in areas ranging from research and development and supply chain development to the commercial deployment of renewable energy, ensuring that Ireland becomes the global leader in the export of sustainable clean energy. In the interim and before the establishment of such an authority, the Western Development Commission should be directed to take on this co-ordination role in the short term.

We also propose the development of an Atlantic electricity interconnector in conjunction with the European Commission. We will only be able to consume approximately 10% of the substantial amount of potential renewable energy off our coasts here within Ireland. We will have a surplus 90% that can and should be exported directly into the European electricity network. To do this, Ireland needs to immediately design a strategy, in conjunction with the European Commission, to fund and construct an Atlantic electricity interconnector that would land west coast and south-west coast renewable electricity directly into the mainland European electricity grid. As the Minister knows, we have an enormous potential supply of electricity to meet the demands of Austria and France. From engaging with his colleagues, the Minister will also know that Germany faces a very significant challenge in meeting its renewable energy targets. Germany has the greatest demand for electricity in Europe. We can help our European colleagues out in this regard.

Photo of Michael LowryMichael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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In Ireland, we have a God-given opportunity to play a vital role in climate action. This comes with an opportunity to significantly boost our economy and create substantial employment. Ireland has the untouched potential to develop more than 70,000 MW of offshore renewable energy. We have the natural resources needed to be a major exporter of green energy which could power much of Europe by 2050. We are ideally placed to become a major player in the areas of wind-generated electricity and hydrogen.

To focus on our domestic situation, Ireland is expected to continue to experience strong and sustained growth in electricity demand between now and 2030. We have already heard signals that power outages are a possibility in the months ahead. It was estimated some time ago that Ireland's total electricity requirement would increase by up to 53% by 2030. Key drivers of this growth in demand include our own economic growth. Significant economic growth is forecast, particularly in high-energy industries such as the data centre and electric vehicle industries.

The reliable provision of energy is increasingly seen as a key factor in attracting foreign direct investment. Multinational companies place high value on locating to a country where their needs can be met. Rather than highlighting the drain on our energy sources data centres cause, Ireland should instead focus on the means we have to meet these needs. Although solar and onshore wind generation can and will play a role, offshore wind is the only technology with the scale and deployment capacity to meet this demand in full.

While Government has already designated seven offshore wind projects with the aim of supplying more than 3,000 MW of electricity to the national grid, this only scratches the surface of Ireland's potential. With the exception of one of these projects, all are located on the eastern side of the country. The vast potential that exists naturally on the south-eastern and western coasts has been largely overlooked up to this point. This not only excludes these areas from the opportunity to exploit their enormous potential for development and employment but also robs these areas of the country of the lucrative capacity to develop and capitalise on the economic gains that arise from supplying offshore renewable energy.

The largest port in Ireland is situated on the west coast, at Foynes. It has the potential to tap into almost 70 GW of power that could be generated off the western seaboard. In July, the port company published a report it had commissioned which identified the potential to create up to 20,000 jobs in manufacturing and a further 10,000 jobs by 2050 in staging, installation, operations and maintenance of wind farms. There is a need to designate Foynes Port and the Shannon Estuary as a European centre of excellence for the manufacture of offshore renewable energy technology.

That technology is based on commonsense and it should happen. It is crucial to Ireland's economic and global competitiveness that this potential does not remain untapped.

Capitalising on the onshore wind industry has been a big success for Ireland. The opportunity to continue to avail of onshore wind energy remains, but this is dependent on the ability to access it. According the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, Ireland has a theoretical wind resource of 12,000 MW, although onshore wind is highly unlikely to be able to be deployed at a sufficient rate to meet future demand and European Union targets. Therefore, while onshore wind will continue to play an invaluable role in future renewable energy capacity, it will fall significantly short of meeting future demand. This is why we must prioritise and invest in the development of offshore energy now. The future will not wait for us.

Ireland must exploit its enormous potential for offshore energy development. If Ireland is to meet its future forecasted demand through to 2030 and beyond, the simple truth is it cannot be done without development and use of offshore wind. Ireland, like countries across the world, must continually strive to grow and develop. As a smaller country we must endeavour to ensure this growth and development is not focused on the larger centres of population but spread across the country to create balance.

10:12 am

Photo of Cathal BerryCathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent)
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I am delighted to be here this morning to address this really important motion on offshore wind energy. At the outset I pay tribute to my good colleague, Deputy Denis Naughten, and our group administrator, Ms Cáit Nic Amhlaoibh, who did most of the heavy lifting to prepare the motion

I have just three points to make in the time allowed. The first is about Ireland's geographical location. We have all been under the impression that, geographically, we were disadvantaged because we are a small island on the periphery of Europe hundreds of kilometres away from our main markets. With the advent of renewable offshore technology, the calculus has been altered completely. We are the largest island in the European Union, ahead of Cyprus and Malta, and we are surrounded by the sea. Not only that, we have trade winds coming across the Atlantic, which are a huge untapped resource of which we should take full advantage for a number of reasons. That would bring much cheaper electricity for people and allow us to not only meet but exceed our climate action targets. It would also open a brand new sector of our economy and, most important, provide not only energy security but energy independence. Ireland would become a net exporter of energy for the first time rather than remaining a net importer.

The second point is that although all the potential is great, and it is good to have it, unless we have a governance structure in place to take full advantage, we will go nowhere. That is why I welcome the proposal to establish the marine area regulatory authority, MARA. That primary legislation is currently going through the Houses and that regulatory authority cannot come soon enough. Within 12 months or by this time next year, we must see the authority established, fully funded and staffed so it can be fully operational in Wexford. It is a key piece of the regulatory framework needed for us to progress these projects.

A second authority I would like to see is an offshore renewable development agency that we are hoping to establish. This is basically the IDA Ireland of the sea and it would do exactly on the sea what IDA Ireland does on land. It is all about attracting foreign direct investment, including big multinational players, to set up these floating wind farms and take full advantage of wind and other resources out there.

The third point is that while it is good to have potential and a regulatory framework, unless we have the required infrastructure, we are going nowhere. Infrastructure is one of the preconditions for success and we have much work to do in that regard. Our ports are not set up for this new wind energy revolution coming down the tracks, particularly the ports at Rosslare and Foynes. We must have port facilities that will allow for the assembly of these huge turbines and their maintenance. There will be many spin-offs from the jobs perspective for our coastal communities. My colleagues have mentioned the interconnector and we really need an electric interconnector between Ireland to the heart of Europe so we can export surplus energy that we will have in a few years.

This motion is a really ambitious call for us to have a second Ardnacrusha moment. Our grandparents built that mighty dam in County Clare in 1920, when the country was much poorer. They built it with their bare hands and we are still deriving benefit from it almost a century later. We are trying to do on the sea what our grandparents did on land in providing renewable energy to look after the next generations. We must ensure that they do not make the same mistakes we did over the past 50-odd years.

Photo of Peter FitzpatrickPeter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent)
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I welcome the opportunity to speak to the motion. Along with colleagues in the Regional Group I bring this motion before the House today and hope that all sides of the House will support us.

Ireland has one of the largest maritime areas in the EU and it is over seven times larger than our land mass. Our maritime area covers almost 500,000 sq. km, which represents a 220 million acre marine resource. With these resources we have the potential to develop over 70,000 MW of offshore renewable energy. What this means in real terms is that we in Ireland have an opportunity to be a major exporter of green energy and could potentially power much of Europe by 2050.

We are in a unique position to exploit this opportunity. By doing so, we can potentially attract over €100 billion of investment, which in turn will not only provide green renewable energy but will also provide real sustainable jobs along our coasts, including areas in my own constituency such as Louth and east Meath.

As everyone knows, our current energy system is powered by non-sustainable imported fossil fuels. As we all know, we are very susceptible to price increases, as has happened over the past 12 months. We in the Regional Group believe we have a great opportunity to make ourselves almost self-sufficient with offshore renewable energy. The Climate Action Plan 2021 commits to increase renewables to meet 80% of our electricity demands by 2030. If this is to achieved, Ireland needs a doubling of offshore generation capacity of the eastern and southern coasts.

Our motion calls on the Government to support a number actions. It seeks the Government to immediately draft an offshore renewable action plan to bring together all the key stakeholders, including all third level and further education institutions, as well as development agencies that include the Western Development Commission. It should draw up a strategy to ensure all possible offshore sites are fully considered in terms of economic benefits, including high-value jobs they can bring from the exploitation of the massive renewable energy resources off our coast.

We are also calling for the maritime area regulatory authority to be established, fully resourced and operational within the next 12 months to capitalise on the growing demand for offshore renewable deployment. We are calling for an offshore renewable development authority to be set up similar to IDA Ireland that will drive a fully co-ordinated national action plan to make Ireland a leading global clean energy exporter. This new authority should be given the responsibility to co-ordinate the Government implementation of the offshore renewable action plan.

We are also calling for Enterprise Ireland, in conjunction with the offshore renewable development authority, to support and develop the establishment of new indigenous Irish businesses in the renewable energy supply chain. We are calling for the urgent drafting of a green hydrogen strategy involving the emerging industry across the EU, as well as key domestic stakeholders to assess hydrogen's suitability as a key future energy source for our economy. We are calling for investment in all our ports with the capacity to facilitate the assembly, deployment and maintenance of offshore renewable energy technologies.

We also need to immediately design and prepare a strategy in conjunction with the EU Commission to fund and construct an Atlantic electricity interconnector, which would land west and south-west coast renewable energy directly into the mainland Europe electricity grid. We want to ensure that all offshore renewable energy rights issued will not just be dependent on the speed of commissioning and price to the consumer but also take into consideration the annual community rebate, along with the domestic employment generated in the manufacture, deployment and maintenance of such infrastructure.

It is estimated that we in Ireland would only require 10% of the total offshore energy produced, leaving the remaining 90% available for export to the rest of Europe.

This has massive potential for us all at this time, as we are trying to turn to renewable energy sources for our energy needs. If we could export 90% of this renewable energy to our neighbours in Europe then surely we could drive down the cost of energy to the consumer.

We are looking for the consumer to switch to electric vehicles and heat systems with electrically powered heat pumps, all of which require massive energy resources. The motion before the House today shows that we in the Regional Group firmly believe that ambitious climate targets can be met. I sincerely hope that all sides of the House see the merits of this motion and support it.

10:22 am

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I was to share time with Deputy Leddin but he is not here so I will take the full ten minutes. I welcome and accept this Private Member's motion on offshore renewable energy from the Regional Group. It is absolutely timely and I imagine it will be supported across the House. What the Deputies say is absolutely true. This is a significant economic opportunity for our State, as well as being critical in meeting our climate and renewable targets. It has potential to completely transform the economic development of the State towards the west, north west, south west and the coasts right around this country. One of its benefits is that it would lead to better balanced economic development. We also have to see it in the context of a very large vision of how we turn this opportunity into an exporting possibility where we sell our power coming from our ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, into the rest of Europe. To deliver on that, again I agree with the intent of the motion, we need a really good regulatory planning framework. I want to set out today in broad detail what the Government is doing in that regard.

The national marine planning framework, NMPF, established in 2021 by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, sets out objectives and policies which must be considered in all planning decisions related to the maritime area. At the same time, management of our maritime area is being reformed through the Maritime Area Planning Bill 2021. I commend all Deputies who were involved in getting it through the House in record time. It is in the Seanad at the moment and we expect it to be enacted before the end of the year. This is critical for the infrastructure we need to manage our offshore resources. One of the main features of the Bill is the creation of a new State consent, the maritime area consent, MAC, as a first step in this new planning process.

To meet our 2030 targets, namely, 5 GW of offshore wind and 80% renewables, we need a pathway to select a number of projects which had advanced under the foreshore regime to transition to the new maritime area planning regime. Under these special transition provisions in the Bill, I, as Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications will have the responsibility for assessing and granting maritime area consents for a first batch of ring-fenced offshore projects, known as the relevant projects. These first MACs are expected to be granted in quarter 3 of next year. That will be a crucial step towards meeting our 2030 targets.

These relevant projects will still be required to apply for all of the requisite consents and planning permission, and will be subject to the full assessment procedures by An Bord Pleanála. After the assessment and grant of the first batch of offshore renewable energy projects, responsibility will be handed over to the new maritime area regulatory authority, MARA, which various Deputies have mentioned. It will be established and operational in the first quarter of 2023. Its establishment is one of the highest priorities of this Government to meet this economic opportunity.

In addition to developing the planning and regulatory frameworks for this new multibillion euro offshore industry, my Department is also developing a route to market for offshore wind under the renewable electricity support scheme, RESS. At least three RESS auctions dedicated to offshore wind are planned this decade. The draft terms and conditions of the first of these auctions, ORESS 1, were published for consultation by my Department in October. Final ORESS 1 terms and conditions will be brought to Government for approval in quarter 2 next year, with the objective of the auction commencing later next year. We are putting community benefit at the heart of this process, learning the lessons from previous attempts as Deputy Naughten said. All offshore wind energy developments will be required to make community benefit funds contributions and, owing to the larger scale of offshore wind developments, these contributions are expected to be significantly larger than those of onshore counterparts.

Ireland’s intention is to move to a plan-led approach to the development of the offshore renewable energy sector. A new offshore renewable energy development plan, OREDP II, will be completed at next year. Together with the national marine planning framework, the OREDP II will provide a framework for the sustainable development of Ireland's offshore renewable energy resources into the future. Under this plan-led approach, all offshore transmission system assets will be owned by the Irish transmission system operator, EirGrid, which is publicly owned. Increased interconnection and eventual development of a European offshore meshed grid will be key to realising Ireland’s short and long term offshore renewable energy objectives. The climate action plan commits the Government to updating the existing electricity interconnection policy next year, which will facilitate development of further interconnection with the EU and UK beyond the Celtic and Greenlink interconnectors currently at an advanced stage of pre-construction development. To assist this I am pleased to let Deputies know that we have just taken on the presidency of the North Seas Energy Cooperation group, ten countries across Europe working together to see exactly how we can design this North Seas interconnected grid, which would allow us to share power and get power at times when wind speeds are low. This economic opportunity is key. It will require investment of tens of billions of euro in Ireland’s offshore renewable energy sector. This investment will deliver considerable benefit in terms of creating high-value indigenous jobs in the installation and maintenance of generation assets and associated infrastructure. Further jobs will be created in the development of indigenous supply chains and port infrastructure.

The Department of Transport, in conjunction with the Irish Maritime Development Office, IMDO, will shortly publish a policy statement outlining the proposed strategy for providing infrastructure at ports to facilitate development and future operation of offshore renewable energy projects. A Shannon Estuary task force will be established by the Government, led by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and supported by officials from Departments and State agencies, as well as county and city councils. This task force will consider the potential of the Shannon Estuary in terms of regional economic development for the renewable energy sector, as well as transport and logistics, manufacturing and tourism, and will develop a strategy to achieve this potential to be published in 2022 following approval by the Government. A cross-departmental offshore renewable energy team, chaired by my Department, has also been established to capture wider economic and business opportunities associated with the development of offshore renewables in Ireland. Furthermore, Enterprise Ireland has for the past several years focused on developing the Irish SME capability to engage with the offshore wind industry. This work stream has included identifying relevant Irish SME capability across a number of sectors and establishing and supporting an Irish offshore wind cluster, comprising more than 60 companies.

The Deputies are absolutely right to point out that our sea area is seven times our land area. It happens to be one of the areas of the world with a wind resource that is one of the strongest and most extensive. The first likely early stage of development will be the Irish Sea, particularly those relevant projects I mentioned earlier. We will then this decade move into the southern waters and into western waters. We are likely to see fixed bottom wind turbines in the Irish Sea moving to floating turbines as we move into western waters, which are deeper and a harsher environment but a far larger potential resource. There is massive potential there. The key issue is what we do when the power comes ashore. We are thinking bigger on this not only in port development but also industrial development. What is likely to happen is that the electricity power supply may be converted into hydrogen or ammonia and other fuel systems. That provides the industrial opportunity in the likes of Shannon Port, Cork Harbour, Rosslare Harbour or elsewhere. It is not just that it is supporting the offshore industry but also the new industries that may come from this.

It will not be without controversy. It will not be easy. We have seen in other countries that the development of offshore wind brings real challenges.

People may not want to see turbines within sight of their shore. We need to get environment planning right so that it does not affect the critical marine biodiversity which needs to be restored and not just retained. If we can overcome those concerns - the planning concerns are the greatest - the potential for the country is limitless.

Deputy Berry mentioned the example of the building of Ardnacrusha; this is an Ardnacrusha-type moment. We need to think 50 and 100 years ahead. In setting up this industry on a sustainable basis, we have the potential to power our country and create employment across the country in a way unmatched by any other economic opportunity the State has previously had. That is why the Government supports the intentions and the broad outline of the Opposition motion.

10:32 am

Photo of Verona MurphyVerona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I am pleased to support and sponsor today's motion relating to offshore renewable energy. On many occasions in this House, I have mentioned the need to capitalise on opportunities to develop offshore renewable energy. Our motion calls for several things to be prioritised. The first thing is to immediately draft an offshore renewable action plan and to draw up a strategy to ensure that all possible offshore sites are fully considered given the economic benefits, including high-value jobs which can come from the exploitation of the enormous renewable energy resources of our coast.

The first thing that is necessary to achieve our renewable energy targets is a plan. All the relevant stakeholders must examine our resources and capability, and develop a long-term plan for offshore renewable energy to take advantage of the tremendous resources that we have in the Irish maritime area. The plan needs to give value for money to the taxpayer and must involve joined-up thinking from the various Departments. Justin Moran of Wind Energy Ireland said that the lack of a robust planning system for the delivery of offshore renewables has arguably been the single greatest barrier to the deployment of offshore wind energy in Ireland.

The motion calls on the Government to ensure that the proposed maritime area regulatory authority, MARA, is established, resourced and operational within the next 12 months to capitalise on the growing demand for offshore renewable deployment. I understand that the permanent home for MARA will be in Wexford. MARA needs to be operational within the next 12 months to take advantage of the opportunities as they arise. Therefore, it is necessary to find a home for it until the permanent home is constructed and operational. As MARA will be one of the main stakeholders in any offshore energy plan, it is necessary for it to be in existence before and during the planning and development phase rather than afterwards. I was little surprised when the Minister mentioned the first quarter of 2023.

The motion also calls on the Government to establish an offshore renewable development authority similar to IDA Ireland, as my colleagues outlined. That would drive a fully co-ordinated national action plan and would have responsibilities involving research and development, supply chain development and the commercial deployment of renewable energy ensuring that Ireland becomes the leading global clean energy exporter. It would make perfect sense for this authority to be in the same building as MARA. As the building is not yet built, there is ample opportunity to ensure that these related authorities are located side-by-side, remembering that parts of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are already located in Wexford.

It is vital to instruct Enterprise Ireland, in conjunction with the offshore renewable development authority, to stimulate the establishment of indigenous businesses in the renewable energy supply chain through a national renewable energy business accelerator programme. All this onshore development must not be achieved at the expense of the taxpayer. The development of private business in this area is crucial. Enterprise Ireland should play an important role in attracting private investment to the market. Government must ensure businesses are not turned off by over-regulation or unnecessarily onerous obligations, otherwise we will just be repeating the same mistakes made in the housing supply market for the past ten or 15 years. Private investment in this area will bring jobs, economic growth and most importantly efficient use of resources.

Investment in the upgrading of all our ports with the capacity to facilitate the assembly, deployment and maintenance of offshore renewable technologies is also vital. As an Independent Deputy from Wexford, I have a particular interest in the prosperity of Rosslare Europort. It is the closest port to mainland Europe and the closest port to the UK. The need for investment to ensure that it is ready and capable of seizing offshore renewable opportunities is crucial. The potential for the exporting of energy should be harnessed. It is vital that Rosslare Europort is capable of taking advantage of opportunities which may arise. Investment in Rosslare will provide a double bang for the buck of the taxpayer, as the port itself is in dire need of upgrading to cater for the 400% increase in commercial traffic since Brexit. There are 30 direct ferry sailings per week to and from mainland Europe keeping Ireland's trade and supply channel alive, but Government has not provided one shilling to assist in an upgrade. No funds have been allocated to ensure capacity is provided for the further growth of commercial or tourist traffic post Brexit. I appeal to the Government to change this.

Photo of Seán CanneySeán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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In the absence of Deputy Tóibín, I will step in. I welcome the opportunity and I thank my Regional Independent colleagues for introducing this important motion. Having listened to the Minister's speech, it is clear that he is aware of what we are all trying to achieve here. He repeatedly talked about what will happen in the future. The thrust of our motion is that if we are to create the offshore renewable energy dynamic that the country needs, we need to ensure we start now. The one thing we should learn from the past is to have justifiable timeframes for making decisions on planning applications, consents and environmental issues. I have first-hand experience of what has happened in Galway with the outer ring road. We cannot let that type of thing to go on for years and years, and we need to learn from that.

Getting foreshore licences has been a joke for decades and we have done nothing about it. It is a never-ending litany where something goes into a dark hole and a licence may be issued years later. That needs to go, if we are serious about climate action and serious about realising the country's potential. This is not just an issue for Galway, Mayo or Sligo; it is a national issue.

We need to give this issue a commercial steer. The Minister outlined the development of ports and other infrastructure within the country as well as developing our seas to ensure we realise the full potential. Therefore, we need a single authority to grasp all of this. In his speech, the Minister mentioned several Departments that will be doing something with this. That type of approach is fragmented. The Government has the right ambition - we all have the right ambition - but to realise that we need to ensure we have the facility to do it in a tangible way. We need to do it now and not be talking about it in ten or 20 years' time. It is okay having the vision, which we all have, but we need to put that vision into action immediately. That MARA will not be in place until 2023 is a statement in itself and backs up our motion that we need to get that done as quickly as possible.

An Bord Pleanála is not resourced adequately for what it is dealing with in today's world. It needs to be resourced properly if we are serious about dealing with developments both on land and offshore. All the bodies involved need to be resourced. I reiterate that it needs to be done now. I refer back to the outer bypass in Galway. It is only one part of the infrastructure the country needs. I welcome yesterday's decision by An Bord Pleanála to give the green light to that project. I call on the Government to force that through so that we can gain access throughout the city. It is not just for the city but also for the port, Ros an Mhíl and the region generally. We need to develop all our ports and none of them should be left behind.

I think all the ports and port authorities and the CEOs involved, some of whom we have met, are at one on this. There is something in this for everybody and we need to make sure it is done properly and fast. That is the thrust of what the Regional Group is saying. It is important that this goes back to the heart of the Government and that the development authority we have requested in the motion is put in place as a matter of urgency. If we are serious and real and if we want to make sure we deliver, we have to stop talking about something in the future. If we are to become the supplier of green energy to our country to develop all this new industry, an industrialisation we can achieve, and if we are to bring that green energy to Europe, we need to make sure we create a new connector. We need to do that now. We need to get it going. There is a European dimension to this and there will be European supports for it if the Government and we as a country take it on board and stop looking for the obstacles but, rather, get through them and make sure we deliver this.

10:42 am

Photo of Darren O'RourkeDarren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I move amendment No. 1:

To insert the following after “resources off our coast;”: “— involve the fishing industry at the pre-planning stage of any proposed offshore energy installations and ensure that support measures are put in place where necessary to protect the livelihoods of fishermen and the sustainability of the industry;”

I thank the Regional Group for bringing forward the motion. Sinn Féin's amendment complements the motion and recognises the need to involve fishing communities in the development of offshore wind. I hope the amendment will be accepted.

Ireland has one of the best offshore renewable energy resources in the world, with a sea area approximately seven times the size of our landmass and a long-term potential for greater than 70 GW of ocean energy opportunity within 100 km of the Irish coastline. It is vital that this valuable natural resource is developed for the benefit of both our climate and our citizens. The Government must realise the potential of offshore wind and act on it in the interests of the people of Ireland, but it looks set to do neither. We hear from those at the coalface of this sector about the maritime planning Bill, delayed by a year; the marine area regulatory authority, delayed by at least a year; licences for surveys, impossible to get; interested parties looking elsewhere and going elsewhere; and a hydrogen strategy of which people ask, "What is that?" As for preparations at our ports, the Government says it is thinking about developing a plan and that it might get EU money. The Government's failure to deliver on its objectives today to meet its own targets is building in failures for the future, and future governments will be burdened by the Minister's incompetence. Those in the sector say we have a very limited window in which to get our house in order. Those with a keener eye say that the 5 GW offshore target for 2030 is already missed and that the Minister knows it. He dithers on floating offshore, he has failed to put in place the legislation and regulatory framework and, as a result, he denies the people of Ireland, particularly our fishing and coastal communities, the opportunity to benefit and to make the transition. Jobs are already being lost to England and elsewhere, we are told, and the truth is that the Minister knows nothing about a just transition. He is failing to realise this potential in the interests of the Irish people.

The people do not trust Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael to deliver a good deal for the Irish people when it comes to our natural resources or anything else, for that matter. They will remember the Corrib, where the people got the scraps from the table. They are living with the national children's hospital and the details of the national broadband plan. A deal prepared by the same climate and communications Department that had expected to deliver for the Irish people on offshore wind is being laid bare in a day-by-day exposé in The Currencyonline, past, present and future.

One way in which the Government can ensure that our offshore potential is developed for the public good is for the State to lead from the front when it comes to investment and development in renewable energy and to be ambitious, bold and visionary on behalf of the Irish people. Semi-state companies such as the ESB, Bord na Móna and others should be provided with the resources to develop and retain ownership of offshore wind projects and not just be bit-part players but be ambitious, bold and visionary. It is not a lot to ask but it seems to be too much to expect from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens.

There is a role for the private sector, for sure, but it is essential that the State does not become as reliant on private renewable energy companies for our future energy needs as we are currently reliant on private fossil fuel companies. We should not switch from one master to another. With offshore wind we have the opportunity for transformational social and economic change in our regions, coastal communities and urban and rural settings, but it has to be harnessed and managed. As of today, and as of the past 20 years, Irish governments are failing. The Minister should not take my word or Sinn Féin's word for it. He should look at the report of the Climate Change Advisory Council, CCAC, published just today. Marie Donnelly was on the radio this morning speaking about the implementation gap. It is there in lights. As for meeting targets, we are significantly off track, in the CCAC's words. Marie Donnelly was asked, if we do not change how we do things, whether we have a snowball's chance in hell of meeting our 2030 targets. She had a one-word answer: "No". I ask the Minister to heed this warning and to act. The CCAC report spelled out that this Government and previous governments have been all talk and no action. We need to deliver on the piece of this jigsaw of which the State is in control. There is huge opportunity for local communities, the Irish economy and the Irish people but it needs to be realised. I call on the Minister and his Government to heed the warnings.

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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This is an important motion, and there is a need for urgency on the issue. I wish to speak to the amendment submitted by Sinn Féin to the motion. It is about the need to have the affected fishing communities directly involved in the pre-planning process and to ensure that their livelihoods are protected. There are enough issues facing our inshore and offshore fishing communities in Ireland. They have been failed by the Common Fisheries Policy. I reiterate - this might shock the Minister as he may not know it - that only 15% of the fish caught in the Irish exclusive economic zone under the Common Fisheries Policy goes to the Irish fishing fleet. Some 85% is given away to the fishing fleets of other member states. It would be reasonable to share the waters, but 85%? That is the context in which we say our fishing communities have been squeezed really badly.

This is an opportunity to coexist. There are opportunities, if this is managed properly, to develop offshore wind energy. One of the issues now is that people cannot consider going beyond 12 nautical miles for floating wind energy infrastructure that does not need to be fixed. It can be moved. It is connected through seabeds by cables. Rather than infrastructure that is close to the shore, which would have an impact on fishing grounds, this type of offshore energy could work better. There is also the need for transferable licences. There are skippers of fishing boats in Ireland who cannot transfer their licences through other marine work. That needs to be looked at. There needs to be an approach to our marine infrastructure and our marine resource that can serve the interests of the Irish people, which would involve this type of wind energy while also protecting our fishing communities. It is critical that whatever we do, our fishing communities are partners in the process and coexist with offshore energy such that one is not opposed to the other.

Photo of Pat BuckleyPat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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I congratulate the Regional Group on bringing forward this motion and I hope that its members will accept the Sinn Féin amendment.

Ireland relies heavily on imported energy today. Once we use up the fuel in the Corrib gas field, we will be nearly completely reliant on gas we import via the gas pipelines from the UK. We have seen what can happen when Russia decides to limit the amount of gas it wants Europe to have. Ireland has a solution to energy security right now. We have all seen the energy of the wind during Storm Barra. Not only could Ireland's offshore wind give us a secure source of energy but it is sustainable and renewable and is our own natural resource. Ireland has more than 70 GW worth of offshore wind. That is more than enough to provide us with all the electricity we need today and into the future. We could use the extra electricity to separate hydrogen from oxygen and water and give us energy that could be stored and transported, complement renewable electricity and stop us relying on fossil fuel pipelines from the UK. Not only that, but we could help Europe to become the first climate-neutral continent by exporting green energy and give our citizens a source of income for decades to come.

This can be helped by a hydrogen strategy for Ireland and a clear statement on how we will use our incredible natural resources for the benefit not only of our citizens but of our planet. While it is welcome to see the progress of the Maritime Area Planning Bill it will take time before the new implementation body, the maritime area regulatory authority, is up and running. We need to keep our eye on the ball. We need to support the existing systems right now. We need to make sure the permits and licences needed for offshore wind development surveys are progressed now. This means we need to resource existing teams such as the foreshore unit, even if it is going to be reorganised in future. Recently, we saw the Norwegian energy company, Equinor, leaving Ireland, calling out the slow pace of regulation here. We need to learn from this and send a clear signal that when it comes to wind energy Ireland is open for business.

We must also involve our fishing industry and protect the livelihoods of fishers and the sustainability of the industry. We have this natural resource, we own this natural resource and we should use this natural resource.

10:52 am

Photo of Réada CroninRéada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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My party will support the Private Members' motion and I thank the Regional Group for tabling it. We welcome that the Government will accept the motion. As my colleague, Deputy Mac Lochlainn outlined, we hope it will also support our amendment. We are a tiny island. It is the first land the wind coming across the Atlantic Ocean meets. This means that as an energy source offshore wind is a big win for us. It gives us an opportunity to be able to ensure we can provide affordable energy for our people rather than the very expensive electricity bills we receive at present.

I want to highlight not just the importance of offshore energy as we meet our emissions target but the energy sector in its entirety. Since energy is vital to how we live, work and communicate, it is vital that this essential public service should not be left to the mercy of the markets. To leave such a vital public service in private ownership would be wrong and, frankly, very irresponsible. The State must be in there to lead powerfully and responsibly from the front. We cannot allow our people to face a crisis in energy such as the crisis they face in housing and homelessness because of the vagaries of the market. It is essential that semi-State bodies such as the ESB and Bord na Móna are given every support necessary to develop offshore capacity and, just as importantly, to keep ownership of that capacity. The State cannot and must not be left dependent on private capacity as it is at present with fossil fuels. We know the trouble this is causing for us.

Consulting with local communities is essential, not as a glossy and meaningless public relations exercise but as a real listening and learning engagement. The people are central to this and a Government that disrespects the people does so at its peril. As a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action I am especially anxious that community groups are given every help and opportunity to get involved in offshore energy through co-operatives. This underscores the idea and the fact of offshore energy as a public good and a public asset and not simply a market commodity to be traded by the few for profit. With climate change we are facing new ways of living and being in our world. As my comrade, Deputy O'Rourke outlined, the Government is not acting with the urgency needed to deliver for our people. The co-operative and community will matter more than ever because there is meitheal in the wind around us.

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I am happy to support the motion and Sinn Féin's amendment to it. Ireland has huge potential not only to meet its 2030 greenhouse gas targets but also to become a leading provider of green energy in Europe. However, this will not happen if proper and robust planning is not carried out now and the substantial investment needed in the sector provided.

Ireland is not on track to reach our target of offshore wind by the end of 2030 as things stand. Proper resources must be invested in our planning infrastructure to ensure it is equipped to deal with the scale of what is required if we are serious about meeting carbon emission targets. From what I can see, An Bord Pleanála is not resourced to deal with what is coming. It is also essential the maritime area regulatory authority is operational as quickly as possible to allow these projects to proceed.

The only port in Ireland capable of dealing with the construction of offshore wind farms is in Belfast. Proper port facilities need to be developed further down the east coast and on the south coast. This needs to be done as quickly as possible. Recently, the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, indicated he was setting up a cross-departmental top team to drive the development of port infrastructure. However, there does not seem to have been any further movement on it since he made this announcement in September. A strategy is needed to bring together all those who will be involved in the provision of offshore wind energy.

The Irish electricity grid needs to be strengthened. The North-South interconnector could have been long established if EirGrid would agree to underground the project. We already depend on electricity for so many aspects of our lives and this will increase as we move more and more to electric cars, electric public transport systems and electric heating systems. Electricity is essential but it must be affordable. In order for this to happen, the State must take a leading role in the provision of electricity and ensure that semi-State bodies such as the ESB and Bord na Móna lead the way in the provision of onshore and offshore energy. However, they cannot do this unless they are properly resourced.

Many foreign private companies are eager to develop this sector because they see the potential. We must not give away the rights to renewable energy to foreign investors as was done before with regard to other natural resources. There must also be consultation to ensure proper buy-in from the people who live in our coastal communities, especially those involved in fishing, to ensure their livelihoods are not affected. We must not just be mindful but we must ensure that marine protected areas are just that. Strong consideration must be given to allowing community groups and co-operatives to become involved in the provision of wind energy. We have the potential to become the leading provider of energy in Europe and no longer depend on fossil fuels from abroad. This can only happen with proper planning and resources. Let us ensure this happens.

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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The offshore renewable energy support scheme draft terms stipulate that all offshore wind farms developed under the scheme must have a community benefit fund associated with them. This is something I fully support. However, the Department has proposed that offshore community benefit funds be managed centrally on a national level through a combined single fund rather than locally on an individual project basis. This is very different from the approach being taken by the Department for onshore community benefit.

Two significant offshore wind projects are planned for development off the Wicklow coast in the coming years. The Codling wind park will be the largest in the State, with up to 140 turbines spread out over 125 sq. km. We also have the Arklow bank project that will see up to 62 turbines spread out over 67 sq. km. It is estimated that the community benefit fund between the Codling wind park and the Arklow bank project could be as much as €10 million year. If the Government proposals are put in place Wicklow would lose out considerably as, unlike the scheme for onshore projects, the funds will not be ring-fenced for communities in Wicklow. The community dividend from these developments belongs to Wicklow because Wicklow will be the county that will be most impacted by the development of these two substantial projects. The Government proposal contravenes the existing practice that covers onshore wind farms, which allows these funds to be administered locally on an individual project basis. The existing scheme for onshore community benefit allows for a third-party administrator to take responsibility for the administration of the community funds in accordance with the good practice principles handbook.

I made a submission to the consultation process, which concluded on Monday. I outlined my opposition to the proposed change to the current best practice that covers the administration of the community benefit fund accrued by local communities from local onshore wind farms. This could potentially result in a loss of millions of euro to Wicklow. Organisations and communities have bought into the two projects that are working their way through the process. It is a serious and significant matter and one that needs to be opposed and examined. I urge all Deputies in Wicklow, including Ministers, to have a look at this to ensure the communities will benefit from these two massive projects in Wicklow, which I fully support.

However, there needs to be a community dividend for that and it needs to be kept within Wicklow rather than managed centrally. I seriously urge the Minister and the Department to consider this issue to ensure Wicklow benefits fully from this community benefit fund in much the same way as onshore communities are benefitting from the projects in their parts of the world. There should not be discrimination in terms of how onshore and offshore projects are dealt with. Communities need to ensure they benefit from the roll-out of those projects.

11:02 am

Photo of Ivana BacikIvana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I am glad to speak for the Labour Party in support of the motion. I commend the Regional Group on tabling it and I am glad the Government is accepting it. It is important that we have cross-party support on this important issue of the development of offshore renewables. All Members are conscious that Ireland is facing three specific crises in the context of energy and energy supply, the first of which is the rising cost of energy bills. All present are conscious that the average household is facing significantly increased costs as all 14 energy suppliers have increased prices at least once this year and in September the Commission for Regulation of Utilities warned there will be higher charges due to record demand and reduced supply. We have real concerns regarding fuel poverty for many households in winter. Second, there is a concern and crisis building in respect of security and certainty in energy supply. In response to a parliamentary question tabled by my colleague, Deputy Sherlock, in recent weeks, we learned that there have been seven amber systems alerts in the past 12 months. The third, and most existential, crisis is the urgent need to decarbonise energy and avoid a devastating rise in global temperatures due to the climate emergency in the next decade and beyond.

We know that in order to address these crises we need to develop significantly our capacity for offshore wind generation. All Members will have seen the report of Wind Energy Ireland - I am grateful to it for supplying the briefing - setting out its concerns that we are not currently on track to reach our renewable energy targets through offshore wind generation. We know that by 2030 we must increase our generation of electricity from renewable sources from 30% to at least 70% or 80% and bring about a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions and a 32.5% improvement in energy efficiency. All Members are conscious that a robust, fair and transparent framework for offshore renewables must form part of this puzzle. Indeed, we need to see greatly enhanced grid capacity. Wind Energy Ireland states that we need a stronger grid and to develop further our delivery of onshore wind capacity in order to meet renewable targets.

However, we still lack the detailed annexe and timeline that was promised when the climate action plan was published several weeks ago. I and my party welcomed the ambitious but necessary targets in the climate action plan. We want to work constructively to ensure those targets are reached but we are concerned that without that detailed annexe, we simply do not have the necessary level of information to see how we are going to reach those targets and what are the steps to be taken in the next few months, the next year and the next decade to reach those targets.

I note the Climate Change Advisory Council today published a very critical review of the approach of the Government to reaching those targets, with Marie Donnelly pointing out a time lag in implementation, gaps between ambition and practical implementation and, in particular, referring to the absence of publication of that detailed annexe and timeline that I have previously asked about in the House. I have asked the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, who is present, about it, as well as the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. We really need to see that detail.

The situation is the same in the context of offshore wind capacity. Anyone who had the pleasure of flying into Copenhagen airport pre-Covid will have seen the mass of offshore wind turbines there. It is no surprise that Denmark is leading the way on offshore renewables. Ireland does not yet have anything like that capacity or infrastructure or the investment necessary to develop that infrastructure to increase our offshore wind generation in the way we need.

We know that demand for electricity will increase as we increasingly electrify transport and all our other amenities, so we need to move much more urgently on offshore wind. We are having this debate not only in the context of the critical review from the Climate Change Advisory Council, but also the repeated warnings from Mark Foley, chief executive of EirGrid, regarding the challenges in meeting our targets and, of course, the announcement of the withdrawal of Equinor from Ireland in recent weeks. Although all present know the establishment of the maritime area regulatory authority, MARA, will be a significant step in the creation of a better planning and infrastructure building system for offshore development, we need to see more urgency. I was glad to hear the Minister, Deputy Ryan, outlining a timeline for establishing the option processes for renewables and I note that he stated he hopes the first option will take place in the final quarter of next year, but we need to see much more urgency on all of these developments. Other speakers have referred to the Ardnacrusha scheme and the significant ambition and dynamism in respect of the construction of that hydroelectric scheme approximately 100 years ago. This month, we are marking the centenary of the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, but we should also be marking and celebrating the development of Ardnacrusha and channelling that focus and energy into building very quickly the green energy infrastructure we need, including offshore wind energy infrastructure. The motion before the House sets out some very important points on how we can do that.

I refer to the need to focus on other renewables. The motion addresses that issue too. I have tabled parliamentary questions on the issue of green hydrogen, seeking to explore precisely what initiatives we can take in Ireland to ensure the roll-out of green hydrogen in a way that is cost-effective, being cognisant that cost of production is currently a significant obstacle to this going forward. I understand the issue is to be discussed at the European Council of energy ministers later this month. I hope the Government will be proactive in promoting this alternative and I look forward to getting an update after that meeting has taken place.

On the issue of solar, I, like many other Deputies, have received many queries from constituents in Dublin Bay South requesting an update on the Government's microgeneration scheme and the potential for installing solar panels. These queries are from individuals, households, schools, sports clubs and others that are keen to do this. We are seeing significant public buy-in on this, just as we are seeing significant public buy-in on moving to electric vehicles, EVs. However, in this case, too, the infrastructure is not in place. It is really difficult to get publicly accessible EV charging facilities. We are still awaiting Dublin City Council's plan on this. It is very frustrating when I am being asked why we cannot simply have more public access EV chargers. The situation is similar for those seeking to install solar panels. I have tabled parliamentary questions on why we have not seen new regulations and exemptions for schools seeking to install such panels, for example. I am glad to hear these new regulations are due for publication early next year but people are keen to move now on this microgeneration, which has significant potential for community buy-in.

As regards energy storage, in October I asked the Minister, Deputy Ryan, his position in respect of the storage of electricity generated from renewables. I am glad to see the programme for Government contains a commitment to incentivise electricity storage. It is mentioned in the climate action plan but, again, we need more detail.

Finally, I refer to the biodiversity emergency we are facing. We must be conscious that when we are developing offshore infrastructure, we are not doing so at a cost to marine biodiversity. Yesterday in the House I launched the Dublin Bay Bill, which would provide for a new statutory authority to promote and enhance environmental protection in Dublin Bay. That initiative is crucial in the context of rolling out offshore wind energy generation and anticipating the forthcoming policy statement on port infrastructure necessary to develop offshore wind capacity.

The Labour Party welcomes the motion and the opportunity to debate this very important issue, but we are anxiously awaiting and seeking much more urgent and detailed implementation plans from the Government on offshore wind generation and all these other necessary measures to reach our climate targets.

Photo of Jennifer WhitmoreJennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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I welcome the opportunity for this debate on this important and timely issue. Marie Donnelly appeared before the climate committee yesterday and she re-emphasised the importance of renewable energy in terms of our ability to meet our target. One of the issues she addressed was the speed at which that needs to be implemented because many things rely on renewable energy, such as EV targets, transport targets and the retrofitting of many homes. It is a critical part of our path to zero carbon and the speed of implementation is very important. Other Members spoke about the barriers to that at the moment.

It is disappointing that biodiversity has played such a small part in the debate so far. Ireland is actually one of the largest countries in Europe in that an area the equivalent of ten times its land mass is under the sea. We run the risk of seeing this area purely as an economic resource. The debate so far indicates that this is how it is viewed. It is viewed as something out of which we should squeeze as much economic benefit as possible, not as a living entity in its own right — a very complex system with many interconnected components that play an enormous part in regulating our climate.

Our oceans are very important, more important than any renewable energy targets will ever be. They are critical to the regulation of the climate. That is not coming across in the debate. We have heard words such as "resources", "economic opportunity", "revenue", "infrastructure", "assets", "development", "industry" and "business opportunity". Even when the Minister spoke about the Shannon Estuary task force, he spoke about transport and regional development. Estuaries are incredibly important from a biodiversity perspective. It is disappointing that no reference was made to this. The environmental sector needs to be represented on the task force.

The Minister did mention the word "biodiversity" but it was not in the written speech that he provided to us; it was an add-on. Biodiversity must not be an add-on in this debate. Many of us talk about how we have managed much of the infrastructure on the island and how much of it has been developer led over the years and under successive Governments. That has not benefited our communities and country very much. We run the risk of allowing our oceans to be developer led also. We need to be cognisant of that and make sure it does not happen.

Where planning in this area is concerned, we have put the cart before the horse. While the Minister talks about marine area consents, which everyone wants as early as possible given the importance of speeding up the process, there is no indication as to what areas need to be protected, why they need to be protected and the benefits of protecting them. There will essentially be no protections, which is worrying.

Under the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, member states should protect at least 30% of the EU's land and marine areas, and at least 10% of land and marine areas should be subject to particularly strict protection. I am aware that this is an EU-wide target and that the Government has not agreed to an Ireland-specific target of protecting 30% of land areas, but the programme for Government commits to realising our outstanding marine space target of 10% and aiming for 30% of marine protected areas by 2030. How can we know what marine spaces are to be protected if the assessment is not done before we start granting consents? There is no point in protecting areas that do not need protection. Protections need to be ecologically coherent. They need to make a difference for the species and ecology we are trying to protect. It is not just a case of saying to the developers that they should find the spots that suit them best and that we will apply the environmental criteria to the rest of the areas. That seems to be the approach that is being taken.

We have not really acknowledged the co-benefits. If this can be done properly, we can have a very successful wind industry. We need a very successful one to meet our targets. I am realistic about that. That is where we need to be going but our approach needs to be balanced with environmental considerations. That is possible. When the two approaches work together, the environment can benefit from the establishment of wind farms. In this regard, there are discussions taking place. In Wicklow, there is a project called the Native Oyster Reef Restoration Ireland, NORRI, project. It is a native oyster restoration project. There is great potential in this regard because, where native oysters grow, there are kelp beds with considerable carbon storage potential. The potential can be realised in conjunction with wind farm development. The project in question is supported by Wicklow County Council but it is also getting support from those behind the wind farms that will be off the Wicklow coast. That is the kind of vision we are considering. It is interesting.

The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibitionis coming up in January. There are two students from St. Mary's College in Arklow working on a seaweed carbon capture project. If the Minister is visiting or looking into such projects, he should make note of this one in particular. Ciara and Lauren from St. Mary's are running it. It is really interesting. It demonstrates interest at local level in these kinds of projects. It also demonstrates the importance of what is known as blue carbon. We need to be considering these areas to determine how we can innovate in them, provide funding and make progress. We must determine how we can proceed in addition to having the wind farms we need to meet our targets.

I am aware that there has been a lot of debate on the Maritime Area Planning Bill, in respect of which my colleague Deputy Cian O'Callaghan tabled a significant number of amendments. Since the Bill has passed through the House, we need to put in place interim measures that will protect the environment. They need to be transparent and robust. We cannot afford to look back in several years and say we got it wrong. Many of our onshore wind farms were put in the wrong place. They were put in peatland areas and have caused enormous damage from landscape and carbon release perspectives. We need wind farms but we need them in the right place, and we need them to be dealt with properly. Many good suggestions were made in the debate on the Maritime Area Planning Bill. I ask the Minister to reconsider them because it is important that we get it right now. The infrastructure is being put in place now. There is a risk that if this is not done properly, it will delay us in meeting our objective for wind farms. We could end up with appeals and judicial reviews if the environment is not considered fully in their development. I ask the Minister to consider this as part of the entire package.

11:12 am

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I thank the Regional Group, including Deputy Naughten, for tabling this important motion on the critical subject of the development of our offshore wind energy resources. There is no doubt but that we need to develop our renewable energy resources quickly. A key part of that will be the development of our offshore wind capacity. Particularly given our huge maritime area and geographical location, we are well placed to play our part in moving away from fossil fuel energy, which we know is threatening the sustainability of life on our planet. There is an existential crisis so it is critical to address the problem. We are also aware that there is a major problem with the availability of energy generally and its cost, which we have seen ratchet up in a dramatic way. This is having a huge financial impact on those who can least afford it. There is a lot at stake, and there are many good points in this motion.

The simple fact that we have to discuss the detail of this motion is terribly important. There is a lot to discuss. Often we have been quite general in our approach to these issues. This is an attempt to get serious about the discussion. It is absolutely correct to call out the danger of a developer-led approach to developing our maritime area. I will talk about that a little more later but now want to make more positive points on the motion. It can facilitate more balanced development, including balanced regional development, to benefit other parts of the country and without concentrating everything in Dublin. That is a strong point that we need to take very seriously because we have unbalanced development in this country that needs to be addressed.

The issue of community gain or social benefit, as I would rather like to put it, from the development of our marine resources and our energy resources is also critically important. Well done to Deputy Naughten and the Regional Group for doing that.

However, a number of questions need to be answered and I do not have all the answers in this regard. These issues need to be discussed. Having spent a good deal of time dealing with the Maritime Area Planning Bill recently, to which Deputy Whitmore alluded and also tabled many amendments, I have major concerns about the developer-led approach. We know a developer-led approach to development onshore was not good and often led to the wrong types of developments in the wrong places, was not properly regulated and, at its worse, did extreme economic damage to this country and precipitated the greatest economic crash we ever saw. In that case, it did not produce cheaper housing, which became more expensive. It did environmental damage and so on.

To address onshore wind energy, what we do not need is a repetition of what happened at the Derrybrien wind farm. If we do not do proper environmental impact assessment in trying to meet the imperative of developing renewable energy, we can cut off our nose to spite our face. Coillte gave over a mountain, cut down the forest for the building of wind energy and a mountain collapsed because nobody had done the proper assessment. We are still paying heavy fines for it. There was also the recent case in Donegal and we still do not know what full cost impact that could have, either environmentally or financially.

I find it deeply concerning that Wind Energy Ireland, an association that has been mentioned a number of times today and, indeed, some of its arguments have been used, is arguing, in its documents on the development of offshore renewable resources, explicitly against a plan-led approach and explicitly for a developer-led approach. Why would it not do that given that it is a commercial corporate interest? It is interested in making money. We should not assume just because it is building wind turbines that somehow it has a more benign attitude towards the potential impact of what it does on the environment when money is the imperative. I am deeply concerned it is explicitly arguing for that approach. We must not bend to that approach.

I am particularly worried, given our previous record of failing to comply with environmental directives for onshore development, that we have only just over 2% of our marine area designated for marine protection, while Germany has 45%, France has 45% and most countries in Europe have a far higher percentage designated than us, and EU directives explicitly require us to have that network of marine protected areas and to take an ecosystem approach. Let us be clear, the protection of biodiversity and addressing the biodiversity crisis cannot be the poor relation of addressing the climate crisis because the biggest carbon sink, bar none, is the marine. We cannot afford to destroy the marine supposedly in the name of addressing the climate crisis because we will sabotage our efforts to address the climate crisis and potentially do damage to the marine. That cannot be allowed to happen.

Again, I do not know all the answers but we need to discuss in detail the question of the viability of further offshore floating wind - fair play to the proposers for referring to this in the motion - where potentially there can be less impact on communities but we get all the benefits and even slightly increased costs can be counteracted by the fact there is greater availability of wind further out at sea. Floating offshore wind has been developed in Scotland, Japan, Maine in the United States, Portugal and so on. I have heard officials say it will be a few years before we can do that here but I do not accept that and I want to know more about it. I do not like the fact that the major sites earmarked for development, potentially bypassing the need for protecting marine areas, the so-called relevant projects, are selected by the developers without having the proper environmental screening and marine protection that we are required to have.

I commend the motion but it must be the beginning of a much more in-depth, detailed conversation about how we balance the imperative to develop our offshore renewable energy while protecting our precious marine resources.

11:22 am

Photo of Richard O'DonoghueRichard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent)
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Ireland has a very ambitious plan when it comes to cutting emissions, especially in the electricity sector for which a target of 80% is planned. I find that difficult to understand, particularly as demand is set to increase with upcoming demand from data centres, an increase in population and demand for power points to service electric cars. Offshore renewable energy has the answer and all the power generated at sea will be a resource for the economy. The development of power grids that facilitate the connection of offshore wind to Ireland and European power grids will require a massive infrastructure but, undoubtedly, will be welcomed.

The Rural Independent Group welcomes the alternatives whenever, and I emphasise this, they become available. For this reason, it pains me to ask the Government again why it would penalise the Irish people with a crippling carbon tax before such alternatives are in place?

I have concerns about the development of ports around deep water and reinforced quays in terms of their identification. I am concerned Ireland has not embraced floating wind farms rather than the fixed bottom sector to contribute to the 2030 emissions targets. The former are noted for the 2050 emissions targets. That sends out the wrong message to companies such as Equinor, which had no confidence in our commitments and left the market. We are considering offshore wind turbines only in respect of meeting our 2050 emissions targets. Companies have decided Ireland is not at the races and have left the market because of our failure to make investments in offshore wind energy. That is a failure on the part of the Government.

I will give the Minister of State a simple example from the farming community, which the Government is trying to cripple. Last week, a farmer with 130 average size cows who pays €850 per month for electricity installed solar panels to run his farm on solar power and reduce emissions. The cost of the solar panels was €21,500. He got a grant of €3,000 and then had to pay 13.5% VAT on installation. How long will it take for him to recoup the initial cost of €21,500? Surely there is supposed to be an incentive for farmers to install solar power. I will give a breakdown of the cost involved. The solar panels cost €21,500. The Government gave a grant of €3,000 and then asked the farmer to pay 13.5% VAT for their installation, at a cost of €2,497.50, bringing the cost involved to €20,997.50. This means the Government gave the farmer a grant of €502.50, not €3,000. We are supposed to be incentivising farmers to help us in this area. On the one hand, the Government is saying it is incentivising them but, on the other hand it, it is taking back the incentive.

I also have concerns we are not developing quickly enough turbine technician apprenticeship programmes in schools. Coming from the business sector, I know that if we build a unit, we will need a trained person to service that unit. Are we going to import everything for that? We have competent students who would take up apprenticeships and learn how to work, fix and design wind farms.

Again, however, the Government has been caught on the back foot. It is not investing in the youth of today in the context of technology going forward. We will be caught again because the Government is going to look for it outside of Ireland. People outside Ireland, for example, on the Continent, look to Ireland because of our education sector and how bright the Irish people are, but our Government is not so bright, given that it will not invest in apprenticeships for renewable energy. This is, again, me coming to the Government, showing it from a business perspective how to future-proof.

We in the Rural Independent Group welcome renewable energy, but all the Government has done is create a layer of tax that means nobody in this country can invest in solar panels or in reducing emissions because its answer to the current fuel crisis was to add tax through the percentage system it uses. I again go back to business. With the banking sector, people can get a fixed-price mortgage that shows the percentage they will have to pay, gives a structure to every household that has a mortgage and shows how much money will come out of the household's account to pay for the house. The State applies a percentage rate on the cost of fuel coming into the country. As a result, if there is a fuel increase in this country, the State takes a percentage on top. In 2020, the State took 81 cent per litre of fuel, while in 2021, it is taking €1.05 because when the cost of fuel increased, the State took its percentage and the tax was added.

That tax hits every farmer and every person in Ireland. It costs more money to produce food, which means the next person adds on the cost, and in turn, everyone who goes shopping tomorrow morning will pay more for it. People will pay more not only for their food but also for their fuel because the Government has added a tax. In the short term, until the cost of fuel decreases, I ask the Government to take a common-sense approach and apply a fixed tax for fuel. I understand there has to be tax to pay the bills but, at a time of crisis such as the Covid pandemic, when there is an international fuel crisis, the Government did not act. It could have fixed the price on fuel, and if there was a cost increase, we would accept that but we do not accept that we must pay additional tax on top of the increase. The State would still get its tax. The Government is penalising everyone, whether through the clothes on my back or the food I will eat today. Everything depends on fuel prices, and the answer of the Government was to increase the tax, given the percentage rate it applies. I reiterate we all know we have to pay tax but, at a time of crisis, the Government has failed the people. With the increases, it is taxing everyone more.

I have been informed farmers are coming to Dublin on Sunday and that members of the Irish Road Haulage Association are coming on Monday. They will not leave until the Government sees common sense. They will be here to protect everyone in Ireland and they want the Government to see that because they have been given no alternative and no hearing by the Government. The only Minister who has come back to me was the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications. I spoke to him on Zoom and he told me he was going to talk to the Minister for Finance. I got one phone call from the Taoiseach to say he would look into it. The people are coming to Dublin and it is not just the 25 counties outside Dublin. People from rural County Dublin, too, have contacted me to thank me for looking out for them because they feel the Government is not listening. People from the 26 counties of the Republic, therefore, and from the six in the North are coming to Dublin to make the Government see common sense.

11:32 am

Photo of Marian HarkinMarian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I thank the Regional Group for making such a comprehensive and forward-looking proposal on the real possibility of developing our offshore renewable energy resources. The proposal is visionary, but down to earth at the same time. It is visionary in that any proposal to develop more than 70,000 MW of offshore renewable energy, which would not only eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels as a nation but allow us to export huge quantities of energy to the EU, is a mega project. Equally, it is down to earth in that we know it is possible and feasible and has great potential, but we need to put the necessary agencies in place with the remit to deliver a fully co-ordinated national plan. This will involve research and design, supply chain development and management of the process from initiation to delivery. I acknowledge it sounds a bit much, but this could be our Ardnacrusha moment if we recognise our potential to transform how we develop our renewable energy resources and act on that recognition.

One aspect of this project must be that there will be community buy-in and real community benefit. By the latter, I do not mean an attempt to buy off communities. I have seen, and am still seeing, those attempts to bribe communities by promises of short-term gain instead of a continuous, stable benefit to local communities. There must be no windfall gains but a plan-led, not developer-led, model of development. Our offshore wind resources can be to Ireland what oil has been to communities, especially coastal communities, in Norway. We need the State to take the leading role here. Time and again, I have seen the negative impacts of exclusively private sector, profit-driven models on the building of infrastructure, from homes to onshore wind turbines to broadband. A project such as this would impact on generations to come and must be State led. Offshore renewable energy must be the primary source of our wind energy.

There have been so many negative experiences throughout the midlands and now in County Leitrim, where there are two proposals on how wind turbines should be positioned for onshore wind generation. Less than two weeks ago, I raised with the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, the issue of the siting of two different wind farms on mountainsides and, largely, on peaty soil in County Leitrim. We still await the publication of the wind energy guidelines, which we are told will give due regard to local communities and individual families within the vicinity of turbines, yet the applications for wind farms keep coming. As long as there are no guidelines, it will be simply the same free-for-all. It is no wonder we get it wrong again and again, just as we are getting it wrong at Croagh wind farm, near Dromahair, and at Dough in Manorhamilton. I have stood at the back door of somebody's house looking up at the side of a mountain less than 1 km away, where it is proposed to erect a 185 m monster wind turbine. To give some context, that is twice the size of the Statue of Liberty. This is how wind policy is being planned and delivered right now. It alienates and divides communities.

The proposal from the Regional Group is visionary but has real, down-to-earth potential.

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I too thank Deputy Naughten and his colleagues from the Regional Group for tabling the motion. I support its sentiment, without hesitation. I support the call that MARA be established and operational within 12 months, the upgrading of the ports, the overall message and acknowledgement we must reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and the acknowledgement the current circumstances are developer led. I could not but agree with all that.

I am not nitpicking but I am not sure about the suggestion we should "exploit" our resources. If the biodiversity crisis and the climate crisis have taught us anything, it is that we should get rid of those words of exploitation but rather use our resources. Our maritime area is an absolutely wonderful resource and, as Deputy Naughten and others pointed out, we have one of the largest such areas in Europe, at seven times our land mass. Even so, we cannot go back. We face an existential crisis and we cannot go back. All development in the future must be sustainable and we should use our resources in the most sustainable way for the maximum number of people and for the common good. I do not think Deputy Naughten would have a difficulty with that. I think "exploit" is a word we should get rid of. We talk about this in the context of 2.13% of Ireland's marine area having been designated as protected.

We are massively behind on that, which is something I have a significant difficulty with. When we discussed the Maritime Area Planning Bill that is going through the Dáil and Seanad, we were told this was a parallel piece of legislation. I do not accept that. It should have been the first piece of legislation. We know from EirGrid and the windmills on land that they are developer-led as well. As a result, we have no plan and no overall vision even though this is a wonderful opportunity if we do it right to make Ireland green and an example to other countries and to show the way, even though we are a small country, albeit with a huge marine area.

I have a major problem with the community benefit. Deputy Harkin mentioned that. I believe it is a divide-and-conquer approach. The word "unity" is a misnomer. It is even less involvement when it comes to offshore energy - quite understandably because it is quite complicated - that the community could not own. There is a significant possibility for the community to own onshore wind and to bring people on board - to bring the likes of me on board to look at how areas in Galway such as Claddagh, Shantalla and Bohermore can become self-sufficient - but not by means of this divide-and-conquer approach.

I refer to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic. There was a ministerial meeting and we signed the Cascais Declaration. There are 29 paragraphs in that. If I had more time, I would go through them all. Paragraphs 15 and 16 deal with offshore renewable energy and state:

15. Offshore renewable energy will play a key role in decarbonising our economies in the coming decades but knowledge gaps still exist about its impact on the marine environment. We will take action to promote and facilitate the sustainable expansion of renewable energy developments while respecting our commitments to a healthy and biologically diverse marine environment.

16. Human activities are reaching further into the ocean than ever before, unlocking new opportunities for sustainable use of resources in the OSPAR maritime area. We will lead on assessing the impacts on the marine environment of human activities taking place under our jurisdiction or control in ABNJ, in line with the precautionary principle and to avoid serious harm to the environment.

Unfortunately, the motion does not quite capture that but I note that Deputy Denis Naughten is nodding, and that he has no difficulty with it. I would think that this is the beginning of an urgent conversation in the context of realising that we cannot exploit our oceans any more and recognising that nature is part of us and that we must work hand in hand if we are going to deal with the existential crisis facing us but still have jobs for our people and real and meaningful community involvement, leadership and benefit.

11:42 am

Photo of Ossian SmythOssian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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As the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications mentioned, Ireland has one of the best offshore renewable energy resources in the world with a sea area of 400 km², which is about seven times the size of our land mass. We have more offshore energy potential than most other EU member states. Ireland's coast is one of the most energy-productive in Europe with a long-term potential of 70 GW of ocean energy opportunity, which includes wind, wave and tidal, within 100 km of the Irish coastline. The climate action plan includes a suite of actions to realise the potential of Ireland's offshore renewable energy while the programme for Government commits to the achievement of 5 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030 and a long-term plan to take advantage of a potential of at least 30 GW of floating wind thereafter.

Aside from helping to reach our renewable energy and emission reduction targets, offshore wind development will entail investment of tens of billions of euro, which will deliver long-term high-value indigenous jobs relating to installation and maintenance of generation assets and associated infrastructure and services. It will provide development of indigenous supply chains and further associated employment and the development of small and large-scale port infrastructure breathing new life into maritime assets. Community benefit payments to local hosting areas for use in education, energy efficiency, sustainable energy and other climate action initiatives are so important and have been mentioned by various Deputies. Owing to large-scale offshore wind developments in particular, these contributions are expected to be significantly larger than those of on-shore counterparts.

Ireland's ambition for the offshore renewable energy sector is contingent on delivering a licensing and regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy. This will provide certainty to project promoters and provide a pathway to realising the necessary investment in offshore renewable energy. This is crucial to our climate ambitions. In order to achieve our 2020 targets, the Department has been working closely with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the development of the Maritime Area Planning Bill. This Bill, which is expected to be enacted before the end of this year, will establish a new agency to regulate development of the maritime area. This agency is to be called the maritime area regulatory authority, MARA. The transition protocol of the Maritime Area Planning Bill designed relevant projects. These are projects that were applied for or granted a lease under the Foreshore Act 1933 or offshore wind projects that were eligible to be processed to receive a valid grid connection offer at December 2019. The relevant projects are expected to be the first to enter into the new maritime area consent regime under the Maritime Area Planning Bill. The Bill provides the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications with the power to invite maritime area consent applications from those projects in advance of the establishment of MARA. It is important to note that the relevant projects will still be required to apply for all the requisite consents and planning permission and will be subject to the full assessment procedures by An Bord Pleanála with regard to planning.

The main pathway for the delivery of the renewable electricity objectives set out in the climate action plan would be via the renewable energy support scheme, RESS. This scheme is designed to provide support to on-shore and offshore renewable electricity projects in Ireland through competitive auctions. With a primary focus on cost effectiveness, the RESS delivers a broader range of policy objectives, including community participation through community benefit funds, increasing technology diversity, delivering an ambitious renewable electricity policy to 2030, increasing energy security and sustainability and ensuring the cost-effectiveness of energy policy.

The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications is developing the terms and conditions of the offshore wind-specific auctions under the RESS. Owing to the specific scale and nature of typical offshore wind farms, dedicated auctions are initially required to support the long-term potential of the technology in Ireland. At least three offshore auctions are planned for this decade. The first offshore wind auction, ORESS 1, is planned to launch in quarter four of next year. A new framework for Ireland's future offshore electricity transmission system was developed by the Department and approved by the Government in April 2021. The new policy provides for the future development, operation and ownership of Ireland's offshore electricity transmission system. The new policy provides for a phased transition from the current decentralised offshore transmission system model to a centralised model over the course of this decade in line with free scheduled offshore RESS auctions. This phased approach should be seen in the context of the wider transition towards a plan-led approach to future offshore renewable energy development in our marine area.

The enduring centralised offshore grid model with transmission system assets to be planned, developed, owned and operated by EirGrid has been identified as delivering maximum societal benefits. The Government recognises that more interconnection with our nearest neighbours and the future development of a European offshore mesh grid would be key to realising Ireland's short and long-term offshore renewable energy objectives. The climate action plan commits the Government to updating the existing electricity interconnection policy next year, which will facilitate further interconnection with the EU and the UK beyond the Celtic and Greenlink interconnectors, which are in an advanced stage of pre-construction development.

I will address an important area of work, namely, managing the relationship between offshore renewable energy, biodiversity and marine protected areas. The national marine planning framework, which was established in June 2021 by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is Ireland's first marine spatial plan. It aims to plan when and where human activities take place at sea and ensure these activities are efficient and sustainable. The protection of biodiversity is one of the overarching policies of the national marine planning framework. The framework already applies to decision makers and State actors in the maritime area. Existing measures such as environmental impact assessment and appropriate assessment requirements already apply to the maritime area. These environmental protection measures include the conservation of Ireland's Natura 2000 network of sites and the protection of listed species and habitats.

Offshore renewable projects will also be subject to full environmental assessment procedures by An Bord Pleanála during the maritime planning permission application procedure and must comply with all relevant applicable provisions of European and national environmental law. Any available data that may indicate the potential for an area to be designated as a marine protected area will be considered as part of the planning assessment to be undertaken by An Bord Pleanála as part of the new regime. Decisions will be based on the environmental data available at that time.

Officials from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, are actively examining further opportunities for engagement with the fisheries sector, having identified and recognised a need for effective engagement between the seafood and offshore renewable energy industries. Work has commenced on the establishment of the seafood industry and offshore renewable energy working group, one of the primary goals of which will be to develop a communications protocol between these two industries.

I have hopefully demonstrated the level of work across government to develop our offshore renewable energy sector sustainably, to realise the economic benefits for citizens and the State into the future and, as importantly, realising that the potential of our offshore resources will not be done at the expense of environmental and biodiversity considerations. We will continue to engage with other maritime users and stakeholders such as the fishing industry.

We are supporting this motion. I am also happy to support the amendment from Sinn Féin. I am glad that the debate overall was constructive. It was substantial and there was a lack of pantomime and theatrics today. People really engaged properly on this. I believe we do need to have an all-island approached to this. We are sharing territory and this applies in our marine areas also. We are sharing the same atmosphere. It is important that we can balance our power needs around the whole island. Everything we can do to advance that is important. I welcome today's motion and debate. It was useful. I paid attention to everything that all Members said and have tried to take everything on board. I will be following up on some of those things later.

11:52 am

Photo of Matt ShanahanMatt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for his comments and I thank the Government for supporting the motion, which has been crafted from a large body of work by colleagues and me in the Regional Group.

It is clear that Ireland is not on track to reach our target of 5,000 MW of offshore wind by the end of 2030. We have significant planning difficulties, as the Minister of State is aware, and probably regulatory difficulties too, as was evidenced by the exit of Equinor from the Irish renewable energy market. The planning system can only be as strong as it is resourced. Our projects and our coastal communities deserve a system that is fair, transparent, robust, swift and suitable to purpose. To that point, I believe that the Minister of State needs to look at the resources within An Bord Pleanála, which need to be beefed up given what is coming down the pipe with new applications for renewable projects.

The offshore wind farms that Ireland seeks to build in the next ten years are going to be some of the largest and most complicated infrastructure projects the State has ever undertaken. Even though they will be largely undertaken by the partners, the State will be centrally involved. It is very important that we see the establishment of the maritime area regulatory authority as quickly as possible. Ideally, this needs to be up and running in advance of 2023 when phase 2 projects will be considered and when the 2025 auctions will also occur.

Our group motion has called for an offshore renewable development authority. This is about strategic planning, something we do not always do well in Ireland. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity now. We must get all stakeholders involved and we must ensure that we listen to all voices. We have also asked for the construction of an Atlantic interconnector. I accept absolutely that this is a very big ask but we must have been thinking in this regard. We are talking about really big project stuff and potentially the future economic development of Ireland over the next 50 to 100 years. We must think big. We have also asked for the designation of Shannon Foynes Port on the Shannon Estuary as a European centre of excellence for the manufacture and development of renewable energy technologies, and particularly turbine manufacturing, which is something we must get up to speed on very quickly in this country. We ask that all key stakeholders, including third level institutions and development agencies, be part of an offshore renewable energy action plan.

On ports and supply chain infrastructure we are doing a lot of work currently on the east coast to south coast. I must point out to the Minister of State that Rosslare Europort and Waterford Port are adjacent to all of this work. I ask that the Government would give considerable thought to resourcing these ports with regard to infrastructure and supply chains.

We need also to support a strategy for new grid infrastructure, and especially the North-South Celtic interconnector and the Greenlink interconnector. We cannot build the promised 5,000 MW of offshore wind energy if the Irish electricity grid is not strong enough to accommodate that volume of power. The grid capacity is key. Connecting the grid capacity will deliver on the actions the Government has committed to within the climate action plan. It will also signal to the international supply chain Ireland's determination to develop our enormous offshore renewable energy potential.

With regard to floating wind energy the programme for Government contains a commitment to produce a plan to develop more than 30 GW of offshore wind energy off the Atlantic coast. As the Minister of State is aware, this energy can be used to produce green hydrogen, which can become a major part of Ireland's future energy matrix. Again, one of the biggest barriers we face is that there is no mechanism to allow offshore wind energy projects to obtain a licence to carry out surveys beyond 12 nautical miles. Until this is put in place it is not possible for these projects to proceed with even the early stage survey work. I put it to the Minister of State that this is a key requirement of the Government's plan.

As the Minister of State has highlighted with regard to the just transition, we need to consider all of our coastal regions, our sea fishers, our seafood industry and the needs of our biodiversity and marine protected areas. I am aware that we have a community dividend secured within the tendering service, but I believe it will be more difficult within the offshore sector.

We have a great opportunity to position Ireland as a centralised and decarbonised economy within Europe. We can absolutely attain the title of Emerald Isle, and one of the greenest economies in the world, if we grab this opportunity.

Photo of Alan DillonAlan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The time has elapsed. I ask that we conclude the debate.

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Standing Orders clearly state that the final ten minutes is protected so we have exactly five minutes remaining. That is under Standing Orders. It is quite clear.

Photo of Alan DillonAlan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Naughten for clarifying that.

Photo of Seán CanneySeán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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I thank both Ministers for their positive reaction to our motion. It is important also that they have taken on board the Sinn Féin amendment, which also ties in with what we are saying.

I will recap on some of the comments by speakers. I thank every speaker for the positive contributions, as the Minister of State has alluded to. It is important to have sustainability in what we are doing into the future. Sustainability means that we do things right and in a way that Ireland Inc will benefit from this. It is important to reiterate that in essence our motion seeks to establish an offshore renewable development authority, to construct an Atlantic interconnector and to designate Ireland as a European centre for excellence in the manufacturing of offshore renewable energy technology. These are three basic points but these measures will take huge effort and huge commitment from us as a country and from us as politicians. We will need to have the energy within ourselves to make sure that we do this and that we do it now.

The planning regimes we have are all very fine but in the Minister of State's response he spoke about the Department of Transport looking to publish a policy statement debate about our ports. We need to go beyond policy statements at this stage. The Shannon Foynes Port, the Port of Galway, and Rossaveel Port in our own area on the west coast, need to have plans. I do not mean plans or policies to be talked about; we need to be able to develop these ports to make sure we capture the benefits that will arise. The Shannon Estuary task force comes under the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Again, we welcome what is going on there but we need to make sure that it is co-ordinated. The cross-departmental offshore renewable energy team is chaired by the Minister, Deputy Ryan's Department. Enterprise Ireland is also focusing on the development of SME capacity. Because we have all of these very important strands in place, the motion is showing the need to ensure that we have one lead authority to make sure that everything is done in a timely fashion. This is the essence of the Private Members' motion. We must learn from our mistakes. The onshore wind energy strategy has been piecemeal. This is a problem. When one considers the issues that are now arising, such as local authorities refusing to give consents to developers to put cables underground, this is the type of gap we are creating that needs to be sorted out urgently.

With offshore energy, we need to make sure that we do not make the same mistakes and that we pick up on the possibility of them happening. We must also ensure that we protect our biodiversity, as stated, which is very important to us out on the seas. We should not make the same mistakes as the past, but, more importantly, we need to take ownership of this potential for the development of Ireland. It is not for Ireland west, south or east; it is for all of Ireland and we need to take full advantage of the potential there. However, we need to do it now. MARA should be in place next year. We should not have to wait until 2023 for that. I do not see why we have to wait until then to get it in place. While we do not have the facilities or the organisations in place that are supposed to drive this on, nothing is happening. That is the issue.

I accept the bona fides of everyone in government to push this along but we need to have a centre, a head to deliver it and direct it to make sure that everything happens on time so that we become the centre of excellence in Europe for green energy. We can produce enough energy to feed a great deal of Europe's demand. We can take the potential from that. We need Ireland to have ownership. The benefits must accrue to Ireland. We do not want to end up sitting, looking out onto our seas to watch floating turbines being dragged out to Denmark and Norway for servicing and maintenance when they should be coming to our shores. We have to develop the infrastructure here to take on this enormous potential. As others stated, this is the new Ardnacrusha moment. For me, it is the new industrial development. Offshore energy will create that for us. We can be at the centre of it. We can be at the centre of Europe for it but we must do so in time.

Amendment agreed to.

Motion, as amended, agreed to.