Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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345. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the percentage of Europe's wind energy potential Ireland possesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6297/14]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Ireland has one of the very best wind energy resources, both onshore and offshore, in Europe. Realising the potential of this abundant resource will allow Ireland to increase indigenous energy production, thereby reducing our dependence on expensive fossil fuel imports and improving our security of supply, while also contributing to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and creating jobs in the green economy.

I am advised by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), that, based on a number of sources such as the work of the European Environment Agency, and ongoing work at national level, Ireland possesses, on 2020 timescale, around 5% of the total EU onshore wind energy resource that at this point could be technically exploited. All wind energy development is subject to planning consents, which includes environmental assessment.

Looking beyond 2020, Ireland is estimated to have around 45% of the offshore wind energy resource within the EU. However the level of this offshore resource that could be utilised will be dependent on a number of factors including environmental sustainability, the development of market demand for mature fixed wind technology, and the development of floating wind technology, currently at the research stage. The Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan, which I published on 7 February, found that it could be environmentally sustainable to develop 4,500 MW of offshore wind in Irish waters in the period to 2030.

These figures demonstrate Ireland's high level of onshore wind resource relative to our landmass in European terms, and the very high potential Ireland has for offshore wind, given our location on the Atlantic seaboard of the EU.