Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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156. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when he expects offshore wind in the north-western waters will be able to be constructed; the plans in place to allow grid access for offshore wind applications in the north west; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56460/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Government has recently agreed to increase our 5GW ambition for offshore wind energy, with an additional 2GW dedicated to green hydrogen production. Furthermore, the Programme for Government includes a commitment to develop a longer-term plan to harness the estimated potential of at least 30GW of offshore floating wind power in our Atlantic waters.

Ireland’s climate ambitions will see investment of tens of billions of euro in offshore renewable electricity projects. The first offshore wind developments are expected to be along the East Coast in the coming years, where shallower waters are suitable for fixed bottom turbines and prospective projects are more advanced. Over time, the energy potential of our deeper waters in the Atlantic Ocean are likely to be harnessed via floating wind technologies.

A new framework for Ireland’s offshore electricity transmission system was approved by Government in April 2021 with the associated policy statement providing for a phased transition from the current decentralised model to a centralised model to take place in line with the offshore RESS auctions this decade as part of the wider transition towards a plan led Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) regime.

The policy envisages that the enduring centralised model will be established by the third offshore RESS auction, with transmission system assets to be planned, developed, owned and operated by EirGrid. This centralised plan led model has been identified as delivering maximum societal benefits.

The Maritime Area Planning (MAP) Act 2021 provides the legal authority for the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to assess Maritime Area Consent (MAC) applications from a set of pre-qualified offshore renewable energy projects. A significant milestone was reached this year, with the receipt of MAC applications from these Phase One projects. Phase One projects which obtain a MAC will still be required to apply for all of the requisite consents and planning permission and will be subject to the full assessment procedures by our national planning regulator.

My Department is currently reviewing submissions to design a pathway for a second batch (Phase Two) of projects to progress through the new consenting system, upon establishment of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) in early 2023.

In addition, work on a revised Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP II) is currently in progress. These will be required to enable achievement of the 5GW 2030 target. An updated Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan will be published in early 2023. It will assess Ireland’s offshore energy resource potential and provide an evidence base to facilitate the identification of areas most suitable for the sustainable development of ORE, while also considering other maritime activities and marine biodiversity.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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157. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps being taken to ensure development jobs for the offshore wind sector will be available to qualified Irish sea farers and that tender boats could be built in Irish boat yards to ensure Irish jobs benefit as much as possible from the development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56461/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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With Ireland’s maritime area being seven times the size of its landmass and our location at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, I am critically aware that the potential for offshore renewable energy in Ireland is enormous – both in terms of power generation and economic opportunity. Central to realising this potential is the work of the Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce.

The goal of the Taskforce is to accelerate and drive delivery by public bodies of offshore wind. To achieve this, it is developing a system-wide programme, bringing together the work ongoing across Government to deliver on our offshore wind ambitions. One of the key objectives of the Taskforce is to ensure that potential economic and societal opportunities associated with the development of the sector are captured. This includes identification of supply chain opportunities for Irish companies and skills/workforce planning.  

The Taskforce is chaired by my Department and its membership comprises senior officials from Government Departments and agencies with offshore wind related actions under the Climate Action Plan. This includes, from a supply chain perspective, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and Enterprise Ireland and from a skills/workforce planning perspective, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.