Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like the Deputy Leader to invite the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to the House to discuss the creation of offshore energy, particularly on the west coast. It seems the Government has decided to put on the back foot any developments in respect of the creation of offshore wind energy along the west coast in favour of the east coast. All of the generation is now going to be on the east coast. We are told that any energy created offshore on the east coast will be fed straight into the national grid. The west coast is not as well connected to the grid as the east coast. However, many applications have been submitted for the production of hydrogen on the west coast. This is a no-brainer for the Government because there is an enormous market for hydrogen and any energy that is created and turned into hydrogen will be sold in Europe, to which it can be easily transported. I ask the Minister to come to the House as a matter of urgency. There are many large projects planned along the west coast, from Valentia Island to Galway and Mayo, relating to the creation of offshore wind energy. One such project is the development of Foynes Harbour. There is considerable potential for this country. We could become world leaders in the creation of hydrogen energy and all that goes along with it. I am asking the Minister to come to the House as a matter of urgency to explain to us why this decision is being made and where the creation of offshore energy, in particular off the west coast, now lies. By how many years is it being pushed back?