Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 17: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the extent to which he intends to encourage or incentivise wave or tidal energy production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33571/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Earlier this year, I launched a new ocean energy strategy, which aims to put Ireland at the forefront of ocean energy development and position us to capitalise on this resource. The strategy was developed by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) and the Marine Institute.

As the first stage in implementing this strategy, we have recently upgraded the Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre in UCC as well as opening an ocean energy test site a mile and a half off the coast of Spiddal, Co Galway. SEI and the Marine Institute are also currently supporting a number of other ocean energy research and development initiatives.

The second phase of the strategy will see the development of pre-commercial grid connected devices and provide for a grid connection to a suitable test site. This phase is expected to be activated in the period 2008 to 2010, pending the outcome of the tests in phase one.

Phase three of the Strategy, which is envisaged for 2011 to 2015, involves supporting a 10MW array of devices which would be connected to the grid.

Clearly the pace of technological development will have an impact on the dates for implementation of the strategy. This is an area that I will be requesting the Energy Research Council to examine, with a view to accelerating RD&D work in this developing and promising area.

Ireland has one of the most promising ocean energy resources in the world, and the Government aims to position Ireland to take full advantage of this resource in the future. The structural and phased development strategy should enable Ireland to utilise its ocean energy resource within a decade.