Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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99. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the plans his Department is currently evaluating to reduce barriers for the construction of renewable energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60389/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Government is committed to achieving 80% of electricity coming from renewable sources in the near term as part of a longer term strategy to decarbonise our power system.

The transition to a renewables led energy system will be underpinned by the delivery of wind and solar generation, as well as supporting technologies to harness renewables output and deliver it to the electricity network and on to our homes and businesses.

Renewable electricity projects make a significant contribution to communities across Ireland through job creation, community benefit funds, and revenue to Local Authorities which is reinvested in local communities and services.

My Department chairs two cross-Government taskforces with the specific aims of ensuring cohesive policy development and reducing barriers for the development of onshore and offshore renewable electricity developments. The Offshore Wind Development Taskforce and the Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce brings together officials from relevant Government Departments, the electricity system operators (EirGrid and ESB Networks), sectoral regulators (CRU and MARA), the Sustainable Energy Authority (SEAI), the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA), and industry representatives to identify the barriers to renewable growth and develop solutions to remove or minimise those barriers.

Key policies, such as the onshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS), inclusion of Regional Renewable Electricity Capacities in the National Planning Framework, the identification of key grid infrastructure projects, and the establishment of an Offshore Wind Clearing House are just some of the achievements of these two taskforces.