Noel McCarthy (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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55. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will report on his Department’s role in the accelerating renewable electricity taskforce and the development of a policy framework to ensure a regional balance and distribution of renewable power such as solar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18049/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government reaffirms Ireland’s ambitious targets of 9 GW of onshore wind capacity, 8 GW of solar capacity and at least 5 GW of offshore wind capacity connected to the grid by 2030 in order to meet the requirement of 80% of electricity demand supplied by renewables.

The Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce has been established to identify and prioritise the required policies to achieve our onshore renewable electricity targets and to ensure that barriers to the implementation of such policies are removed or minimised to the greatest extent possible.

The Taskforce is chaired by my Department and its membership is comprised of senior representatives from key government departments and State Bodies with responsibilities related to the delivery of renewable electricity generation projects and associated grid infrastructure.

Under the aegis of the Taskforce, officials from my Department, in collaboration with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, are developing a supporting policy framework for Ireland’s electricity supply which will deliver a regional balance and distribution of renewable technologies, including solar PV and onshore wind.

As part of this approach, regional renewable electricity capacity allocations for solar PV and onshore wind have been included in the draft First Revision of the National Planning Framework. The inclusion of these regional allocations is a critical step towards achieving Ireland’s national renewable electricity targets and will support a plan-led approach to the strategic planning of renewable technologies, delivering a fair regional balance and distribution of the associated infrastructure.

This approach will provide a framework for Ireland’s indigenous renewable electricity supply to keep pace with economic growth, protect Irish homes and businesses from volatile fossil fuel prices through the deployment of indigenous wind and solar energy across our regions.