Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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314. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will report on his plans to introduce a national designated maritime area plan in 2027 ; the resources he is dedicating to reaching this target; the progress that has been made to date in creating a national designated maritime area plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20761/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Designated Maritime Area Plans (DMAPs) are a critical piece of the Government’s strategic, plan led approach for managing our maritime area to ensure that development takes place in a sustainable way.

In order to accelerate the process of site designation for offshore wind I have decided that a single DMAP covering all of Ireland’s maritime area is the optimal choice for efficient delivery. This approach is aligned with the Programme for Government commitment, and will provide greater certainty for marine stakeholders and the renewables industry.

The goal of this DMAP will be to designate sites around Ireland’s sea area capable of delivering at least 15GW of energy by 2040, which along with the South Coast DMAP and the Phase One projects will enable Ireland to meet its 20GW target. It is expected this DMAP will be completed by end 2027.

This DMAP is being delivered by a Project Team in my Department supported by a Steering Group comprised of sectoral experts from across relevant Government Departments.