Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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93. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the total capacity output available under existing wind generation schemes; the projected output if all wind farms currently at various stages of the planning system were to come to fruition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49042/25]

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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A lot of wind programmes are currently in planning. Will the Minister of State indicate what the capacity would be if all of those planning permissions were to come good and deliver those wind projects? What would be the capacity at that stage?

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Wind generation is supported mainly through the legacy renewable energy feed-in tariff, REFIT, schemes and the renewable electricity support scheme, RESS, and funded also through public service obligations, PSO. These supports are a critical enabler of the investment needed to underpin a renewables-led energy system.

Over the 2025-26 PSO year, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities reports that over 3.3 GW of wind capacity was supported by the PSO. Of this, more than 2.9 GW was supported under the REFIT and over 0.4 GW under the RESS, with over 1 GW of solar also supported under the RESS. In addition to that capacity, some wind farms operate without PSO support, selling directly into the market or under private power-purchase agreements. Taking all of them into account, the total installed wind generation capacity has reached over 5 GW. Industry sources indicate that approximately 2.5 GW of onshore wind capacity has secured planning permission but is not yet built and that another approximate 1.5 GW of projects are seeking planning permission or are the subject of judicial review.

The Government remains committed to the development of 5 GW of offshore wind capacity with projects in construction by 2030 and energised as soon as feasible thereafter. Projects from the ORESS-1, accounting for 3 GW, are progressing through the planning process within An Comisiún Pleanála. Separately, the 900 MW Tonn Nua site within the south coast DMAP will go to auction this autumn.

Delivering on this capacity, combined with our 5 GW of existing installed wind capacity, will bring us closer to achieving our national ambition of 9 GW of onshore wind and 5 GW of offshore wind in the very near future.

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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That is all welcome news. In my constituency, there are a number of plans relating to offshore wind. We do not really have the land space to be developing much in the way of onshore wind in Dún Laoghaire but there are two particular projects in the Dublin Array and the Codling Wind Park that will deliver a lot, not just in clean energy but also for the facilities onshore and the use of Dún Laoghaire Harbour to help deliver that. In the context of a windy island like Ireland, the importance of building our capacity, particularly in offshore wind, cannot be understated. We have a real opportunity here. Notwithstanding what the Minister of State has said, how can we speed up the process to ensure that even where things are controversial, we deliver offshore wind in a way that will benefit everybody in this country and on this island?

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that with the passage of the national marine planning legislation back in 2021, where we introduced the approach through the designated marine area plans, the approach to identifying those sites and the approach to engaging with stakeholders in a very open and transparent way, it has worked well. Our first DMAP was launched in this House in October of last year and was not judicially reviewed, which to me was a clear indication that the process and the legislative basis on which it was founded is working. It is about that kind of engagement and planning ahead. The approach we had taken up to this was about leaving it up to developers to identify sites. They were known as the phase 1 projects, such as the two the Deputy referred to. The Government moved from that to a plan-led approach whereby the State will identify the areas that are suitable and will work with communities and stakeholders to try to ensure that there is not that level of objection when it goes to the planning process. This is what we are doing now. We announced last Friday a full national DMAP, to follow on from the one in existence, to ensure a plan-led approach and a consultative approach with stakeholders, whether they be fishermen, other sea users or the communities where the infrastructure will have to be built in the first instance to serve the sites or where a grid will have to be built to bring it ashore.

While we were slow getting started, we have an appropriate system in place now that I feel is certainly working but the important thing is to get it moving as quickly as possible.

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State put his finger on it with regard to public consultation. Some of these projects can be very controversial and it is really important to bring people with them and show them the benefit of the project not only to us all but also to local communities.

In the context of the two projects I mentioned to the Minister of State, I know from speaking to people in Dún Laoghaire that there are two major concerns. One is the loss of visual amenity. As you look out across places like Dalkey Island that have remained unchanged nearly since Viking times, there is a loss of visual amenity. I acknowledge that but in weighing the two up, the balance of correctness, if I could put it that way, lies in building the wind farms.

The other concerns people talk about are environmental impacts, particularly on the sea bed, with regard to plankton farms and sites for the growing of important micro-organisms within the sea. My understanding is the experience from Scotland and the North Sea is that these wind farms create small biospheres where, in fact, the biodiversity increases. Can we help communicate to people that while there may be downsides, the upsides grossly outweigh them in all of these projects?

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy has raised an important point on the environmental aspect, and the construction of certain structures can have that ability to pull together those microsystems. Part of my role in the Department is about ensuring that we meet our commitments - Deputy Whitmore will be familiar with this - in regard to the marine protected areas, an important feature and commitment that we have given to designate 30% of our seas by 2030. In that context, under the same legislation, we hope to move relatively quickly on that. It will not preclude certain development on certain sites that are to be protected from a marine environmental protection perspective, and can give rise to assisting the growth and development of certain biodiversity that was under threat or has already been lost in a significant way. We are trying to advance the two pieces together, both identifying the areas suitable for development for the generation of electricity and protecting our marine environment in line with our international commitments.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I call on Deputy Malcolm Byrne.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Minister of State provide an update on the private wires policy?

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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That is Question No. 95.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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We have skipped ahead. I will have to get that for the Deputy.

I do not seem to have that.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question No. 95.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I will have to get that. Does the Leas-Cheann Comhairle want to go on to the next one and I will come back to that?

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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We can take Question No. 97 while we are waiting.