Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when the first stage of the off-shore wind farm on the Kish bank will be developed; and the way in which he intends to implement the conditions set out in the AER 6 support system in this regard. [19929/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The scheduling of works on any project successful in AER 6 is a commercial decision for the developer concerned, providing the schedule complies with the published rules of the competition.

The applicable rules, as published, provided that all onshore projects, other than "biomass fed CHP", should be built and selling electricity by 31 December 2004. The corresponding deadline for the "biomass fed CHP" and "offshore wind" categories is 31 December 2006.

In the case of the onshore categories, other than "biomass fed CHP", the published deadline was extended to 31 December 2005, in accordance with the published rules, in response to the impact of the decision by the CER and subsequent decisions of the network operators to apply a moratorium to new connection offers for renewable energy projects.

All the terms and conditions of AER 6 will be applied by my Department in accordance with the provisions in the published AER 6 competition notes, after taking legal advice if particularly complex issues rise. In the event that any applicant in any category of AER 6 is found not to be in compliance with a binding term or condition the offer of support can be withdrawn.