Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

We would all want to wish Rishi Sunak the very best as he takes the helm in Britain. Let us hope that his term as Prime Minister will be one where there is a restoration in the quality of British-Irish relations. Let us hope that we are now entering a period of stability and greater rapprochement and understanding. Hopefully there can be important dialogue about issues such as the Troubles amnesty legislation and the Northern Ireland protocol in order that, at a time when the world faces so many challenges on different fronts, we can at least get our British-Irish relations right and start solving some of the problems and getting them out of the way. I think everybody would wish him a fair wind.

On the subject of wind, I attended a Wind Energy Ireland briefing this morning with other colleagues. We heard about the exciting plans to develop wind energy. I understand that more than 28 GW is being planned in the longer term. The aim is to get to 10 GW by 2030. We were informed that wind energy currently supplies around one third of the Irish electricity requirement, as we all know. However, there are many problems, including issues such as whether the community is going to benefit directly. There is a difference between money being given to the GAA locally and various kinds of community benefit funds and the kind of significant community stake in the benefits to be enjoyed for which there is a real desire among the public. Just because we secure the supply of energy through wind energy into the future does not necessarily mean that the price of energy will be kept down sufficiently. That was one of the many issues.

We need to see a greater pragmatism from the Government about solving problems like modular housing, or striking the right balance between consultation with the community and getting things done. I will mention Derrybrien briefly in this context. Just because something was done wrong in the past does not obviate the need for a pragmatic solution at a time of energy crisis. We need to get those windmills turning. It cannot be beyond the wit of this Government to come up with a way to get that done. I hope the Seanad Independent Group will offer a solution to that in the form of Senator McDowell's legislation. It is crazy at a time of an energy crisis that the Government would stand over a situation where 70 turbines are not functioning, not producing electricity and not putting money into the economy. We have so many problems. Let us get real about the problems we face.