Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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246. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason wind farms are not being located offshore, eliminating the need for putting turbines across the land and the resulting electrical infrastructure of pylons and minimising the impact on communities. [47802/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Ireland has some of the best renewable energy resources in Europe, both onshore and offshore. Cost effective harnessing of the potential of the sector as a whole will be crucial to reducing our dependence on expensive fossil fuel imports, creating a low carbon energy system and delivering jobs in the green economy. The Government, as outlined in the Strategy for Renewable Energy 2012, is confident that Ireland has the capability to achieve its 2020 national targets for renewable electricity from onshore renewable generation and primarily from wind. Accordingly, there is no support scheme for offshore wind for domestic consumption on the basis that it would impose unnecessary costs on the electricity consumer.

In addition to pursuing our domestic renewable electricity requirements, my Department is also working closely with the United Kingdom Government to pursue the opportunity of harnessing the abundant potential of our renewable energy resources, including offshore wind, for export.

As set out in the 2012 Government Policy Statement on the Strategic Importance of Transmission and Other Energy Infrastructure, the Government is keenly aware of the need to balance the requirement to deliver the new energy infrastructure necessary to ensure that the energy needs of all consumers are met in a way that is secure, reliable, sustainable and competitive, with the requirement to engage fully with the public regarding their concerns at such developments. To this end, on 23 October last, I launched the first of three phases of public consultation on the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the proposal to export renewable energy from Ireland to the UK. Responses to this consultation are sought by 22 November, 2013.

Additionally, my Department is currently finalising an Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP). The process began with the carrying out of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). Informed by the findings of the SEA, the OREDP will identify how best to coordinate actions across the environmental, energy and economic development policy areas in order to realise Ireland’s abundant offshore renewable energy potential in a sustainable way, using both offshore wind, and emerging ocean, technologies.

Furthermore, with regard to the development of onshore wind, a review of the Wind Energy Planning Guidelines currently underway, is examining the manner in which the guidelines address key issues such as noise (including separation distance) and shadow flicker. The review is being carried out by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, in conjunction with this Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, in order to ensure that Ireland continues to meet its renewable energy targets, while at the same time ensuring that wind energy does not have negative impacts on local communities. It is expected that draft revised guidelines will be published for consultation by the end of November with a view to the finalisation of the new guidelines by mid-2014.