Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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48. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the proportion of the 2030 target for solar PV that has been achieved (energised) to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55842/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government outlines the Government's commitment to deliver 80% of Ireland's electricity demand from renewable energy sources including 8GW of solar energy.

The total capacity of solar generation connected to the grid is now over 1.7 Gigawatts (GW). This represents very significant progress given that the first utility-scale solar project in Ireland was connected to the grid in 2022.

Ireland currently has circa 7 GW of renewable generation capacity. Onshore wind is the largest contributor to this, with circa 5.1 GW of wind generation capacity and 1.7 GW of solar PV installed, with hydro, biomass, and other small sources contributing the remainder.

Government policy is focused on maintaining this momentum and delivering on our ambitious targets. Growth has been strong in the recent years and solar is already making a meaningful contribution to electricity demand, playing a central role in diversifying Ireland’s renewable mix.

The Programme for Government recognises that to enable such a transformation of our energy system will also require a range of supporting measures. This will involve the development of a balanced portfolio of technologies, including storage and flexibility services, to complement other measures such as demand-side response, network development and interconnection to ensure a safe and secure electricity system with increased levels of renewables.

This will require unprecedented levels of investment in renewable electricity generation development and in the infrastructure required to expand and strengthen our electricity grid.

The Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce (ARET) brings together key organisations to focus on identifying barriers and potential solutions to accelerating the delivery of critical grid infrastructure to ensure that there is a supportive policy framework in place that facilitates the accelerated deployment of solar and onshore wind farm developments.