Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join Senator Seery Kearney in complimenting the groupin situand recognise her for the work she has done. Of course, others have rightly identified that there was an issue that needed to be resolved, but her perseverance, personal interest and legal knowledge and expertise have been very helpful in ensuring parents like her and others will be treated appropriately by Irish law and not be disenfranchised as they have been to date. That is great work. If she had done nothing else, although she has done a lot more, that is something she could be rightly proud of.

Today at COP28, we hear of the difficulties of OPEC and other fossil fuel-dominant countries holding the rest of the world to ransom. It is disheartening, but a strong team is there fighting the cause and we hope they will have some success. We can do more here at home, however, to address this issue and I am conscious floating offshore wind is one of the great potentials this country has, not just for economic development here but also to power large parts of Europe from the rest of Ireland without the need for carbon emissions. Other countries in Europe are moving ahead. Scotland and other parts of Britain and Portugal have embraced the opportunity and are steaming ahead. We have been talking about it for a long time but in terms of actual flesh on the bones, we have been relatively slow to make progress.

I would like a debate on this in the new year. We talk about bringing power onshore by 2032, but a lot has to happen. All the infrastructure has to be built and port development has to take place. We have to build wind turbines and the platforms on which they will reside, well out into the Atlantic Ocean. That takes time, and I do not feel as though the level of co-ordination is there to make it happen. The vision is there and the policy is moving but I do not believe we have the operational approach. I appeal to the Government to look at embedding a unit within the IDA to co-ordinate this activity with all the stakeholders and interest groups to try to bring it to fruition. I am also conscious that, from a policy perspective, we need to move. A third phase of the future framework policy is scheduled for quarter 1 of 2024, and it is important that part of that will ensure the designation of the marine area plans be undertaken. In addition, I believe a 400 MW floating wind demonstrator, to be included in the renewable energy support scheme, should form a part of that phase. If we are to get to our target of bringing the power ashore by 2032, we will need to have taken steps well in advance of that.