Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 28 together.

As set out in the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan, which I published earlier this year, Ireland's marine energy resources - in particular wind and wave - are among the very best in the EU. However, as also highlighted in the OREDP, a route to market is critical for the development of each of the technologies in this sector. It has been established that Ireland has sufficient onshore renewable energy resources to allow us to meet our 2020 target of meeting 40% of electricity demand from renewable generation. Therefore, the route to market identified for offshore wind is that of export. Intensive discussions took place over the last year with the UK to establish if it would be possible to export renewable energy, both onshore and offshore, in order to allow the UK meet its 2020 target. While this work established that, with the appropriate policy and regulatory framework, renewable energy trading could deliver benefits to both Ireland and the UK, the complexities involved and the decisions yet to be taken by the UK, make post 2020 delivery more realistic given project lead times. Nevertheless, given the move towards an Internal Market for Energy, I am of the view that trade in renewable electricity is virtually inevitable post 2020.

In common with the state of play internationally, the ocean energy sector in Ireland is at the pre-commercial stage. To support developers in bringing their devices from prototype to full scale commercial viability, requires a range of policies. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) provides support to developers in a number of ways from its ocean energy development budget of €6.5 million for 2014. Initial device development and testing is supported through the Prototype Fund. Developers must satisfy a range of technical criteria to indicate potential viability in order to receive funding. Funding has also been allocated to SEAI for the development of the Atlantic Marine Energy Test Site (AMETS) off County Mayo. From 2016, this facility will provide a grid connected test site with some of the most demanding conditions for wave energy in the world. Currently SEAI and the Marine Institute provide quarter size test facilities off the Galway coast.

The Irish Maritime and Energy Research Centre (IMERC) provides initial device testing facilities and critical research and development capacity. My Department is contributing €3 million in co-funding between 2013 and 2016. In total, my Department has allocated at total of €26.3 million for ocean energy in the period 2013 to 2016. This funding, which will benefit from increased cross government coordination through the implementation of the OREDP, is vital if the ocean energy sector is to reach the array demonstration stage envisaged by projects such as Westwave. The fact that this level of funding has been retained for ocean energy despite the budgetary constraints of recent years indicates the level of Government commitment to realising the potential of our abundant, indigenous, offshore energy resources.