David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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242. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will advise on a matter (details supplied) raised in correspondence in relation to windfarm developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19436/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Government has ambitious plans for wind energy development, which my Department is implementing as a key priority. The Climate Action Plan 2021 commits Ireland to installing up to 8GW of onshore wind and at least 5GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030, in order to support the reduction in Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.  

The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is the main Government support to deliver these onshore and offshore wind targets. RESS includes a mandated Community Benefit Fund payment, valued at €2 per MWh of electricity generated, which guarantees local community participation and benefit in all projects supported by RESS. The scheme will be supplemented by the new Micro-Generation Support Scheme to facilitate communities further in their energy transition.

Significant progress has been made to date in advancing offshore wind. The enactment of the Maritime Area Planning (MAP) Act 2021, establishes a well-regulated and inclusive consenting process which includes meaningful community engagement. The Act also balances the harnessing of our huge offshore wind potential with protecting our marine environment. The application process for Maritime Area Consents (MACs), which will be issued to projects on foot of the MAP legislation, opens later this month. In respect of the decommissioning of infrastructure, the MAP Act also sets out obligations on holders of a MAC in relation to the rehabilitation of the maritime area.

Preparations are also now advanced to launch, later this year, Ireland's first auction specifically for offshore wind projects, ORESS 1. Community Benefit Fund payment obligations for ORESS 1 projects will commence from an early stage of project development, before commercial operation. 

Work is also underway to develop a pathway for offshore development post-2030 and a revised Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP II) is currently in progress. This will identify the most suitable areas for the sustainable development of fixed and floating wind, wave, and tidal technologies in the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), while also considering other maritime activities and marine biodiversity. The Government is pursuing a responsible level of urgency to address our renewable energy commitments, particularly in the light of recent cost pressures and the need to reduce our dependency on imported fossil fuels, particularly following the tragic events unfolding in Ukraine.