Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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171. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the total amount of electricity generated in Ireland in 2021; the percentage that was generated by renewable resources; the percentage that was generated by offshore renewable energy; the extent of what any gap between the current levels of electricity generated by offshore renewable energy means; the target for 2030 for offshore renewable energy; the steps that he is taking to ensure that the 2030 targets are met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22567/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) publishes in its annual Energy in Ireland report the official annual figures of total electricity generated and the percentage of electricity generated from renewable sources in Ireland. The latest edition of the report is available here: www.seai.ie/data-and-insights/seai-statistics/key-publications/energy-in-ireland/. As there is currently only one offshore wind farm operating in Ireland, the contribution of offshore wind is currently relatively small and is reported together with the onshore wind figures. The Energy in Ireland report is published one year in arrears, therefore official figures for 2021 will be available in the report to be published in December of this year. Provisional estimates provided to my Department by EirGrid indicate that approximately 31GWh of electricity was generated in Ireland in 2021, of which approximately 35% was generated from renewable sources. The majority of renewable electricity was generated from onshore and offshore wind, which provided approximately 31% of total electricity generated.

The Climate Action Plan 2021 commits to the achievement of 5GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030. A number of steps were completed last year to progress this target including the publication of a Government policy framework for the development of Ireland's Offshore Electricity Transmission System, the publication of a Government policy framework for Ireland's commercial ports to develop infrastructure to support offshore renewable energy, and the prioritisation of the Maritime Area Planning (MAP) Act, which was enacted in December 2021. This Act underpins an entirely new, streamlined and Aarhus-compliant marine planning system for offshore renewable energy development. This year, my Department opened the application window for the first Maritime Area Consents (MACs) to be issued under this new legislation and by the end of this year, the first in a series of offshore wind specific auctions under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) will be launched, providing a dedicated route to market for offshore wind projects.

In addition, work is underway within my Department to develop a new Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP II), which together with the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF), will provide a framework for the sustainable development of Ireland's offshore renewable energy resources in the longer term, with due consideration of key economic, environmental and social factors.