Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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58. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he supports designating liquefied natural gas infrastructure or data centres as strategic infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41403/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to strategic infrastructure in the context of the Planning and development bill.

The Seventh and Eighth schedules of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended), already provide for such facilities to be designated as Strategic Infrastructure Development and its maritime equivalent. This is the planning legislation that is currently in force and, as such, any application for planning permission should be directed to An Bord Pleanála in the first instance in accordance with that Act.

The Planning and Development Bill 2023, has recently been approved by both houses of the Oireachtas, includes a technical provision relating to strategic gas infrastructure. This provides for consistency of treatment within the new legislation for onshore and offshore facilities and ensures that the statutory role of the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities in respect of strategic gas infrastructure applies to both. The amendment made in this regard in the Seanad was to prevent any legal uncertainty arising as regards the categorisation of offshore LNG projects in the context of the transfer of planning functions for the foreshore.

I am not aware of any proposals to designate data centres as Strategic Infrastructure Development and they are not currently designated as such under the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended).

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
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60. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will invoke action 17 of the current energy policy in the Climate Action Plan and enact a policy to ban liquefied natural gas terminals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41443/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As set out in the Government’s ‘Policy Statement on the Importation of Fracked Gas' the government does not support the importation of fracked gas. Ireland is committed to halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and becoming carbon neutral by 2050. In future, most of our energy needs will be met by renewable energy which will be the anchor of our energy security.

The sole consideration by this Government of Liquified Natural Gas facilities is in the context of energy security. The Government does not support the commercial import of LNG as the development of infrastructure for the commercial import of LNG would be inconsistent with the decarbonisation trajectory established under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act, as amended.

The Government policy in relation to energy security is set out in 'Energy Security in Ireland to 2030' report which was approved and published in November 2023. The report determines that Ireland’s natural gas supplies and infrastructure are adequate to meet our demand projections. However, Ireland does not have adequate resilience in case of a major disruption to our sub-sea gas imports pipelines and does not currently meet minimum EU standards in this area.

It is in this context only that a state-led Liquified Gas Facility was recommended in the Report.

A state-led strategic gas emergency reserve, operating on a non-commercial basis for use only in the event of an emergency, would provide resilience to the gas system and mitigate against the major consequences for our society and our economy that would arise from a significant gas supply disruption in Ireland.

As a final element of the energy security review, Gas Networks Ireland are undertaking a detailed analysis of the strategic gas emergency reserve.

In parallel my Department are developing the appropriate policy and legislative measures to ensure the facility provides the resilience to our energy system in a manner that:

does not inadvertently increase gas demand by increasing the supply available on the market;

is compatible with the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act and

does not support the Importation of Fracked Gas. www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=.

Work to conclude the final element of the energy security package is continuing as a matter of priority; however, it requires additional analysis before returning to Government.

One of the issues on which further research and information is necessary, relates to the timeline for introducing such a facility and the timelines within which gas demand may fall to reduce the risk. That has to be examined very closely. We know that, in this decade, we are at risk and are exposed. Given the likelihood that delivery of a strategic gas reserve facility may not happen until early in the next decade, analysis is required as to whether the planned dramatic reduction in gas use, particularly in the electricity generation sector, means that an alternative way to meet the energy security risk might be better. For example, further electricity interconnectors with the UK or France or what is fast-evolving long term storage capability. This further research is something I have asked my Department to look at before going back to the Government and Oireachtas with detailed analysis.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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61. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the measures being taking to ensure that the development of offshore energy is not located in sensitive areas that have not yet been assessed for marine protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41419/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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In 2021, Ireland established its first national maritime spatial plan, known as the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF), and legislated to positively change the management of our seas and oceans through enactment of the Maritime Area Planning (MAP) Act. The MAP Act further created the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) to manage and regulate sustainable activities within our seas and oceans.

The deployment of offshore renewable energy (ORE) is critical towards meeting Ireland’s renewable energy and legally binding objectives. This includes achieving a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the end of this decade and a climate neutral economy by no later than 2050. Accordingly, Government has established ambitious targets for the deployment of ORE, which are installed capacities of 5 gigawatts by 2030, 20 gigawatts by 2040 and 37 gigawatts by 2050.

The development of offshore renewable energy in Ireland is taking place within the overarching legislative, regulatory and policy frameworks provided by the MAP Act and the NMPF. The MAP Act provides that An Bord Pleanala shall not approve a development that would materially contravene the NMPF, save in exceptional circumstances. The MAP Act further provides that MARA must have regard to the NMPF in determining the award of Maritime Area Consents and licences.

The NMPF includes robust overarching Marine Planning Policies that apply to all marine activities or developments. In this regard, Biodiversity Policy 1 in this Plan requires that proposals that may have significant adverse impacts on species adaptation or migration, or on natural native habitat connectivity must demonstrate that they will, in order of preference and in accordance with legal requirements; Avoid, Minimise, or Mitigate these impacts.

Through this mandatory adherence to the NMPF, offshore renewable energy projects in Ireland will continue to provide for the protection of biodiversity and our marine environment.