Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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101. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to outline the progress on meeting Ireland’s planned target of 80% of energy being generated by renewable sources by 2030; the barriers he sees to meeting that target; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1712/25]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Ireland is a world leader in the integration of variable renewable electricity onto to the grid with circa 7 GW of renewable electricity generation capacity currently connected, including circa 5 GW of wind capacity and circa 1.5 GW of solar PV capacity.

Our ambitious targets, as laid out in Climate Action Plans 2023 and 2024, of 9 GW onshore wind, at least 5 GW offshore wind and 8 GW solar PV support our 2030 target of 80% of electricity being generated by renewable sources. Renewable generation provided 40.7% of the total electricity supply in 2023, according to the SEAI Energy in Ireland 2024 Report, published in December.

There continues to be a strong pipeline of renewable projects thanks to our support schemes and supportive policy environment which are providing key signals to investors that Ireland is serious about the transition to a renewables-led system.

The four Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) auctions have been fundamental in boosting Ireland's renewable electricity capacity. RESS 4 secured enough capacity to power up to half a million homes. A fifth auction, RESS 5, is due to commence late this year.

Ireland's first offshore wind auction, ORESS 1, held in May 2023 underscored the State's ambitions for offshore renewable energy, with over 3 GW of capacity procured. The second ORESS auction, based in the Tonn Nua auction site as set out in the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan, is due to take place in June and is expected to procure 900MW.

The Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS) and Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS) are also ensuring that domestic and commercial self-consumers, as well as exporting projects from SMEs, farms, and communities play a key role in the energy transition while also gaining access to cheaper electricity.

The cross-Government onshore Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce (ARET) and Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce (OWDT) are bringing together a range of key stakeholders including Government Departments, State Bodies and industry to identify and prioritise the required policies needed to achieve our renewable electricity targets and ensure that barriers to the implementation of these policies are removed or minimised to the greatest extent possible.