Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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576. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the allocations from his Department to support research and development in renewable maritime energy such as wave and tidal power and offshore wind in each of the years 2012 to 2016 in tabular form. [21431/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The 2014 Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP) sets out the Government’s policy in the ocean energy area.  The plan identifies the sustainable economic opportunity for Ireland in the period to 2030 of realising the potential of our indigenous offshore wind, wave and tidal energy resources.

In contrast to offshore wind, wave and tidal energy is still at the R&D stage globally.  Notwithstanding the development of promising experimental devices, much more research, development and trials are required to bring wave and tidal energy technology to commercial viability.

Exchequer support in terms of research, development and demonstration was increased under the OREDP.  This funding supports Ireland’s commitment to world class test facilities including the Lir National Ocean Test Facility in Cork, the quarter scale Galway Bay test site, and the full scale Atlantic Marine Energy Test Site (AMETS), off the coast of Mayo.  This funding also supports the Prototype Development Fund, which is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, and provides grant aid to support developers in bringing their devices from prototype to full scale commercial viability.

A breakdown of the funding allocated by my Department to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland for ocean energy research and development in each of the years 2012 to 2016 is set out in the following table.

In addition, my Department provided grant aid of €3 million over the period 2012-2015 towards the rebuilding of the Beaufort Laboratory at the IMERC campus, which now houses the Lir Ocean Test facilities.