Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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143. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the €35 million penalty paid by a company (details supplied) after it pulled out of a wind farm project; and if any of this penalty will be invested into local communities in Connemara; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60456/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Sceirde Rocks project was a 450 MW offshore wind project that was one of four successful bidders in my Department's first offshore wind auction in 2023. The project was awarded a Maritime Area Consent in 2022 and I understand that the project submitted a planning application to the then An Bord Pleanala in January 2025.

The project is owned by Corio Generation who announced a planned corporate restructuring on 8 April 2025 that would see them focus on a smaller portfolio of projects worldwide. By letter of 25 April, Corio formally notified my Department that the Sceirde Rocks project would not proceed.

This notification terminated the ORESS support contract for the project, which meant that Corio's €35.5 million performance security under the contract was forfeit. This was paid over by the relevant bank in June 2025 and transferred to the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation as required by Government financial procedures.