Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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72. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the actions that his Department is taking to accelerate the delivery of offshore wind energy to ensure that Ireland meets the target of 7 GW by 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62752/22]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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Since I have not done so yet, I echo the condolences offered by the Minister and Deputies to the family of the soldier who lost his life in Lebanon and his injured colleagues. I commiserate with their families and wish them well in the time ahead as they grieve and heal.

We will have the opportunity to talk again about solar as part of a later question. What actions has the Department taken to accelerate the delivery of offshore wind energy to ensure that Ireland meets the target of 7 GW by 2030?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As Ireland's maritime area is seven times the size of its landmass, and our location is at the edge of the Atlantic, I am critically aware that the potential for offshore renewable energy in Ireland is enormous. The offshore wind delivery task force is central to realising this potential and to meeting our targets. The goal of this task force is to accelerate and drive delivery of offshore wind by public bodies. To achieve this, it is developing a single system-wide plan, bringing together the work ongoing across Government to deliver on our offshore wind ambitions. This includes matters relating to supply chain, ports policy, skills and workforce, and regulatory consenting. I intend to bring this system-wide plan to Government for approval in early 2023.

With respect to work under way in my Department to accelerate delivery of offshore wind, the Government recently approved the terms and conditions for the first offshore wind auction under the renewable electricity support scheme. This is expected to provide a route to market for at least 2.5 GW of offshore renewable energy, ORE. This auction will take place in the first half of 2023. Furthermore, in advance of the establishment of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA, in early 2023, I have the legal authority to assess maritime area consent, MAC, applications from a set of prequalified ORE projects. Initial decisions on the first MACs have been issued, with legal documentation now being finalised, which will allow successful projects to apply for planning permission from An Bord Pleanála.

We are on the verge of starting this first auction process through issuing the MACs and then allowing the companies go into this auction process, which was set out last month. Central to this will be the designation by the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Noonan, of special protection areas, SPAs, and special areas of conservation, SACs. This will allow us to get the environmental planning of this right in order that we can go into the planning process by the middle of next year, and get projects through that process in timelines that will allow us to deliver power in 2025-26 or to start building power plants in that timeframe.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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All today's priority questions, across the Opposition, are interrelated. They are on a theme, which is the Opposition trying to push the Government in a direction I believe the Minister wants to go. I will say again, however, that I am not convinced that members of the Government are entirely in tune regarding it.

A number of these issues are cross-departmental. From talking to those in the sector, there are two major concerns in the area of planning. The targets now being talked about are for 2035 instead of 2030. The Minister recognises that. That is happening, as I see it. A major, immediate concern relates to ports and planning. There is a concern in the planning sector that MARA will not happen in time and that An Bord Pleanála, or whatever the structure will be to clear applications, is not adequately resourced. Is this a major priority for the Minister? What is being done in respect of it?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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That is an absolute priority, not just for me but my Government colleagues across this House. The Deputy is right to focus on planning constraints being the real obstacle but An Bord Pleanála is now being resourced with the key expertise it needs in that section. A special unit and team of people are being assembled, with the maritime, ecology and marine planning skills that are needed. That will be aligned with the establishment of MARA, which will be done on time. We got that legislation through the House in time to be able to introduce that body next year, when it will take over the running of that consenting format. There is also the wider legislation that the Government considered the other day, which related to overall improvement of our planning system, the development of marine protected areas and, as I cited, the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan's work on the SPAs and the SACs, which is probably the most critical issue we need to get right. Everyone is agreed that this is the first priority in the economic development of the State, as well as in our climate plans. We will deliver it by 2030 and not beyond.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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My understanding is that funding was approved and a number of positions were filled in respect of the climate and marine unit at An Bord Pleanála, but a greater number of positions were not even advertised, despite funding being allocated for them. Does the Minister have the detail of the staffing complement for that unit? How many are employed there in position? Will this unit have a unique focus on offshore wind and renewable projects? My understanding is that they will also be responsible for active travel projects and other projects not related to the delivery of offshore wind. Will their time and focus be diluted? Ports are a major pinch point. How will they be prioritised in the year ahead?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Last night, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, introduced legislation to allow us to do the real, essential development of An Bord Pleanála and to bring in new board members and so on. If I recall correctly, Sinn Féin voted against the legislation.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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No, we did not.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Sinn Féin abstained on it.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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We did not vote against it.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Sinn Féin did not vote against it. Fair enough. That legislation was critical and key. The Deputy is right in that I do not have the full detail on how many new people An Bord Pleanála has taken on. My view is we will have to massively increase the staffing of An Bord Pleanála and not just on the marine planning side. In the areas of transport, energy and housing, I see An Bord Pleanála resourcing as the greatest constraint on delivering what our people need. We will see reform of An Bord Pleanála in that it will be massively scaled up, not just through the numbers of positions we have seen advertised to date but with far greater resources that will be needed, because that resourcing constraint is the biggest obstacle and block to delivery of housing, transport, energy and water infrastructure. That has to change.