Noel McCarthy (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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14. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his Department’s plans for the development of south coast offshore wind infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18022/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Climate Action Plan 2024 commits to achieving at least 5 gigawatts of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030. In addition, through the Future Framework for Offshore Renewable Energy Policy Statement, published in 2024, Government aims to achieve 20 gigawatts of installed offshore wind by 2040 and 37 gigawatts by 2020. These ambitious levels of offshore wind capacity will facilitate the achievement of the wider economic benefits of the offshore wind opportunity identified in Powering Prosperity, Ireland's Offshore Wind Industrial Strategy. The Government's Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce is driving delivery of these objectives.

At present, we have 4.3 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity committed through Phase 1 of our offshore wind programme. These projects are aiming for construction and energisation by 2030.

The Government's Phase 2 policy for offshore wind aims to deliver additional projects to complete the 5GW 2030 target through a State, plan-led approach. This entails the designation, under the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021, of Designated Maritime Area Plans (DMAP) for renewable energy development. Ireland's first DMAP, the South Coast DMAP, was approved by the Oireachtas in October 2024 and provides four designated areas for fixed bottom offshore wind development.

This year, our second offshore wind auction for the 900 megawatt Tonn Nua site will be the first site within the South Coast DMAP to come to market. After the auction, the wind farm project will then proceed to apply for a maritime area consent, grid connection and planning consent respectively over the coming years. Eirgrid has been tasked with developing the offshore transmission assets, and in recent days, it published the interim grid connection information pack, detailing the technical parameters of the project.