Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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133. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the next RESS and ORESS auctions will take place; if it will be index linked; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26580/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The final auction timetable for the fifth onshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS 5) auction was published by the auction operator, EirGrid, on 7 May. As per the published timetable, the RESS 5 auction is due to take place in early September.

The RESS 5 Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) have also been published, Section 5.2.3 of which provides for indexation for successful RESS 5 projects of the operation and maintenance costs of their projects. This will provide for 30% of a project’s offer price to be linked annually to the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) and will apply for the duration of the support term.

The ORESS Tonn Nua offshore wind auction will be Ireland’s second offshore wind auction and the first to take place within the South Coast DMAP area designated for renewable energy development last year. A single 900 MW site will be auctioned and the Tonn Nua Terms and Conditions were published by my Department on 30 October 2024.

Given the longer delivery period for offshore wind projects compared to onshore renewables, the Tonn Nua auction will be index linked to the Platts Steel Index as well as similar provisions for RESS 5 for the indexation of 30% of the offer price over the support period to the EU HICP. The pre-qualification phase is due to open in September 2025, with the auction bidding window taking place in November. Final auction results are due to be published in December.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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134. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if work has begun to negotiate the State aid for renewable energy auctions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26581/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I refer the Deputy to the responses provided to his Parliamentary Questions Nos. 17833/25 and 17705/25 last month.

As stated previously, State Aid approval for the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) was granted in 2020 for a period of five years up to the end of 2025. Officials from my Department are currently engaging with counterparts in the Directorate-General for Competition of the European Commission in relation to an extension request to this State Aid decision.

This work is ongoing and the timeline for a decision on the extension request is a matter for the Directorate-General for Competition. My Department will continue to engage with and update stakeholders on proposals for future auctions as this work progresses. In line with the Programme for Government, my Department is committed to holding at least one RESS auction per year to ensure continued investment in and delivery of renewable electricity generation.