Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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59. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the scale of offshore wind energy he expects could be developed in the Irish Sea by 2030; and the role his Department has in co-ordinating such developments. [49093/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan 2014 (OREDP) sets out the Government’s plan for the sustainable development of our abundant offshore renewable energy resources.  The Strategic Environmental Assessment carried out for the OREDP found that it would be environmentally sustainable for 4,500 MW of offshore wind and 1,500MW of wave and tidal devices to be developed in Irish waters in the period to 2030.

The OREDP identifies policy actions and enablers that are key to the development of this sector. Progress on these is on-going under the aegis of the Offshore Renewable Energy Steering Group (ORESG). The ORESG, chaired by my Department, includes representation from all relevant Government Departments and agencies, including the Foreshore Licencing Unit of the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government which has responsibility for the licencing of offshore renewable energy developments.  The ORESG is responsible for the implementation of the Plan across three work-streams: Job Creation; Infrastructure; and Environment.  A Working Group for each stream was established with a view to ensuring that offshore renewable energy is developed in line with EU environmental obligations and best practice.

Under the oversight of the ORESG, a mid-term review of the OREDP is currently under way. A draft review document has been published on my Department's websitewww.dccae.gov.ie for public consultation. This consultation will close on 19 December 2017. The Environment Working Group has developed guidance for industry on the preparation of Environmental Impact Statements and Natura Impact Statements, which is publicly available. Further guidance for industry on environmental monitoring requirements for offshore renewable energy projects is nearing finalisation. 

My Department is developing a new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) which will be designed to assist Ireland in meeting its renewable energy contribution to EU-wide targets out to 2030. The design of the new scheme has included an extensive independent economic appraisal. This appraisal compared the cost of supporting a range of commercial renewable technologies, including ocean technologies, to ensure that the new scheme delivers value for money for energy users whilst also delivering on the energy pillars of sustainability and security of supply. All submissions received following a recent public consultation on the emerging principles of the proposed new RESS will be considered in informing the final design of the RESS. While at this point no final decisions have been made as regards which technologies that will be supported, I welcome and have noted with interest the falling costs of renewable technologies over the past year, such as offshore wind. Increasing renewable technology diversity is one of several policy objectives the new RESS is trying to deliver and falling technology costs may lead to increased diversity of the renewable portfolio over the medium term.