Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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I move:

That Dáil Éireann approves the draft South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy, a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 26th September, 2024.

On behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, I welcome this opportunity to seek the support of Deputies for Ireland’s first forward spatial plan for offshore renewable energy. The draft DMAP identifies four maritime areas for accelerated and sustainable deployments of offshore wind off the south coast of Ireland over the next decade.

Today’s debate follows the approval of this motion by the Seanad yesterday. If approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas, the south coast DMAP will represent a landmark event in forward spatial planning in this country. It will signal a fundamental and positive change in how we manage and plan our extensive maritime area.

Protecting the marine environment and biodiversity, while supporting citizens reliant on the sea for their livelihoods, has been central to the creation of this draft plan. It has also been established in co-operation with local communities along the south coast through extensive, wide-reaching and effective consultation. By providing a long-term source of secure indigenous green energy, the south coast DMAP and similar future spatial plans around our coasts will ensure that we in Ireland continue to play our part in addressing the escalating global climate emergency. It is a further response to the twin challenges of energy security and affordability. It will spur regional development and economic opportunities along the south coast and throughout the wider economy.

Today’s motion is the culmination of a successful programme of legislative and policy achievements over the past four years to establish a robust framework for offshore renewable energy development in Ireland. In 2021, Ireland established its first national maritime spatial plan, known as the national marine planning framework, NMPF, and Ireland legislated to positively change the management of our seas and oceans through enactment of the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021. The MAP Act further created the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority to manage and regulate sustainable activities within our seas and oceans.

A further pivotal moment in our clean energy transition was signalled by the results of Ireland’s first offshore wind auction in 2023. This auction procured more than 3,000 MW of potential future offshore wind capacity to power 2.5 million Irish homes with green, secure and affordable energy. To capture the full associated economic opportunities, Powering Prosperity - Ireland’s Offshore Wind Industrial Strategy was published by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment last March. This ambitious strategy puts the development of offshore renewables at the heart of Ireland’s economic growth in the years and decades to come.

To achieve the actions and ambition of this industrial strategy, the Government is working closely with industry to unlock significant investment opportunities and drive forward our renewable energy ambitions.

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To co-ordinate and drive the effective delivery of this new sector in Ireland, an all-of-government offshore wind delivery task force was established in 2022, which is successfully mobilising our society to capture this once in a generation opportunity. This includes ensuring that Irish citizens and businesses are equipped with the training and skills that enable Ireland to maximise benefits from the deployment of offshore renewable energy and the wider green energy transition.

Last year, a new plan-led approach to offshore renewables development was adopted by the Government, with the overwhelming support of the Oireachtas. Members of this House informed Government they no longer wanted a developer-led system, and that the designation of appropriate development areas should be led by the State. This decision determined that future offshore wind projects should be located within DMAPs.

We have listened and reacted. The preparation of the south coast DMAP gives effect to this decision. It will also align Ireland with similar plan-led approaches in other European jurisdictions, such as the Netherlands, Denmark and the UK, which are leading global practitioners of offshore wind. In fact, since the Oireachtas made this decision and embarked on the development of this spatial plan, more jurisdictions have followed suit and the overwhelming trend is now for offshore wind to be plan-led.

We are fortunate in Ireland to have already legislated for this approach through the MAP Act, and I want to thank Deputies for their leadership in having the foresight to ensure the legislative and regulatory system was in place. Other countries are still grappling with this. Through evidence-based analysis, the draft DMAP identifies four maritime areas for sustainable deployments of fixed offshore wind off the coast of Waterford and Wexford over the next decade. This includes a maritime area, known as Tonn Nua, which is identified for a 900 MW project to be built by the winner of Ireland's second offshore wind auction. This will commence next year, with terms and conditions to be published following adoption of this DMAP.

The first offshore wind project will contribute to the wider objective that 80% of our electricity needs come from renewable sources by the end of this decade. Fixed offshore wind projects located in the additional three maritime areas will deploy beyond this decade to deliver on our legally binding commitment to achieve a climate neutral economy no later than 2050. These projects will also bolster the energy security of Ireland, safeguarding the electricity needs of our homes, hospitals and businesses.

While the preparation of this draft plan has been led by officials from the Department of the environment, it has been developed as a collaborative cross-government plan supported by expert environmental and technical analysis. It has been further informed by robust environmental assessments and prevents development taking place in those areas of greatest sensitivity. Crucially, the draft DMAP has also been shaped by wide-reaching engagement with local coastal communities and key stakeholders. This continuous engagement has been facilitated through full-time locally based fishing and community liaison officers.

I am pleased to say that the overwhelming sentiment during consultation from people living in these areas was positive. There was an eagerness to capture opportunities that can be accrued locally by this new industry for this and future generations to benefit from. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who met with officials at town hall meetings, in local authority offices, on the quayside, in schools and in their workplaces over the past 12 months. Their views were listened to and have been expressed in this draft plan.

It is critical that the implementation of this plan does not take place at the expense of fishers and the wider seafood sector, which supports jobs and economic activity in local communities along the south coast. Maximising opportunities for successful co-existence with other marine users has been a core objective throughout this process. Local fishers have been consulted extensively over the past 12 months and have positively shaped the preparation of this DMAP. The new plan-led approach adopted by Government will deliver certainty to coastal communities and existing maritime users. It will also bring certainty to Ireland’s burgeoning offshore wind industry, the investment decisions of which will accelerate decarbonisation of our society and economy.

In regard to that, the clear evidence from other jurisdictions illustrates the transformative economic impacts arising from offshore wind and supply chain development. Independent analysis on the south coast DMAP highlights that more than 60% of these opportunities in terms of inward investment and sustainable jobs creation will directly accrue to Cork, Waterford and Wexford. Further societal opportunity will result in the mandatory community benefit funds that must be established by all offshore wind projects in Ireland which are supported through the offshore renewable electricity support scheme. It is a requirement that community benefits funds will be independently managed by local communities for projects identified by those communities.

The plan will be a harbinger of regional development, economic opportunity and societal gain. While the motion before us today is the south coast’s opportunity, it is critical that this will be followed by further DMAPs over the coming years. For the avoidance of doubt, future DMAPs must and will always focus on emerging floating technology, notably off our western seaboard.

The approval of this motion will give effect to the plan-led approach to offshore renewables development in Ireland, supported by this House in May 2023. The establishment of the south coast DMAP is a critical step towards unlocking Ireland’s offshore wind potential, while securing our energy independence and prosperity over the coming decades. Its approval by this House should be considered of strategic national importance.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the opportunity to speak on the south coast DMAP. This has been quite some time coming. After 15 months, we finally have a plan for offshore wind on the south coast of our island. It is Ireland's first spatial plan for offshore wind and identifies four maritime areas off the south coast for offshore wind development over the next decade. It is welcome.

Offshore renewable energy represents a momentous opportunity not just for Waterford, Cork and Wexford, but for the entire island. It has the potential to generate €3 billion and 32,000 jobs for local economies over the lifetime of the offshore wind projects. Furthermore, it represents a significant step towards reducing our emissions and achieving Irish energy independence.

It is my party's ambition, through the roll-out of renewables, in particular offshore wind, for Ireland to become a net exporter of renewable energy so that our vast natural resources can be translated into national wealth for all. I want to recognise the significant initial steps being taken today towards that goal. It is an initial step that has taken some time to deliver. I want to make it clear that we cannot wait another 15 months for the next DMAP.

Ireland can no longer sit on the sidelines when we sit on the biggest natural offshore wind resource in all of Europe, with some 640 GW of untapped energy potential. While other countries such as Portugal, Scotland, Denmark, Finland, Spain, France and Germany forged ahead, Ireland all but stood still. There have been decades of bad planning, mismanagement and inaction, with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael at the wheel and so much lost opportunity. Ireland cannot continue to squander that opportunity.

Meeting our 2050 target of 37 GW of offshore wind could be worth €38 billion to our economy. It is now widely recognised, however, that the Government's efforts will see Ireland missing our 2030 targets. The fact is that there are serious barriers to progress, barriers this Government has created and seems determined not to correct. Our planning system is slow, adversarial and racked with uncertainty. These problems are so acute that many renewable energy projects fail to make it off the ground. For example, renewable projects are stuck in the planning system for an average of 92 weeks. For a period of more than 14 months, no new project was approved. Alarmingly, the situation is set to get even worse with the Bill that the Government pushed through last night.

To address this, Sinn Féin would undo the damage the planning Bill is set to do. We would also increase the resourcing of State bodies like MARA, An Bord Pleanála, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and local authorities and produce agreed workforce plans between them to address staff shortages. We would ensure alignment between county development policy and national policy for onshore wind and move towards a plan-led approach for solar energy.

Grid constraints as a barrier to Ireland's green energy revolution are a reality. Ireland's electricity grid is not fit for purpose. It is barely managing to cope with its current load and is certainly not fit to handle the ambition of creating an energy-secure and independent Ireland. Since 2016, constraint levels in the north west, for example, have risen from 2.3% to 11.4%. In the west, it has risen from 0.3% to 8.8%, while in the north we have seen the highest level of constraints, going from 2.3% in 2016 to 14.6% in 2023.

This is all lost energy that could have been used to cook meals, run milking parlours, charge cars or even just boil the kettle. Instead, these wind farms had to stop generating or reduce generation and that electricity came from gas. The greater the increase in constraints on our grid, the more carbon emissions we produce and the higher our bills become because of the gas generation brought on stream to replace the constrained wind farms. This is only set to get worse as we attempt to get more renewables on the system. Unlike this Government, Sinn Féin has a plan to address this with our renewable energy investment fund. We would increase investment in our grid. We would also invest in energy storage and issue a national policy statement on that.

Ireland's port infrastructure presents yet another significant challenge when it comes to hitting our 2030 offshore targets. As it stands, there is only one port on the island, namely, Belfast Harbour, with the capacity to deliver offshore renewable energy, ORE, infrastructure. Over the past two years, however, it has been completely taken over by projects from Britain. No other port is ready for offshore wind in Ireland, placing a large question mark over just how we are going to deliver on our targets. With our renewable energy investment fund, Sinn Féin would ramp up investment in Irish ports.

The renewable energy support scheme is an auction-based process that invites renewable energy projects to compete against one other to win contracts to provide electricity at a guaranteed price. As the Minister of State knows, there have been four onshore auctions to date, renewable electricity support scheme, RESS, 1 to 4, and just one for offshore wind, that is, offshore renewable electricity support scheme, ORESS 1. These auctions have been plagued with problems and are already regarded as yet another barrier to developing renewable energy here. Auctions are not happening in the timeline set out by the Government, nor are they delivering the amount of power required to meet our 2030 targets. In addition, the prices they are setting are very high when compared with those in other European countries, meaning consumer bills will remain high. As these prices are index-linked, they are set to rise into the future. We hear from developers the need for a drum beat of auctions but we are not seeing that. I raised this with the senior Minister at committee recently.

As recently as July 2023, the Government aimed to hold ORESS 2.1 before the end of 2023, with final results in early 2024, or so it said. It seems likely, however, that the auction will not be held until the middle of 2025, with results taking a further few months. Planning applications then will not be submitted until late 2026. It is clear, therefore, that an urgent review is needed. Sinn Féin commits to predictable timelines for auctions that are not mired in constant delays. Without urgent change in the scale, pace and ambition for renewable energy, Ireland's aspiration to become a global leader in renewable energy will never become a reality. Sinn Féin's vision for renewable energy on this island represents this change. We have a plan and the political will to do this. We believe the renewable energy transition must be leveraged in a manner that delivers long-term social and economic benefits for families and communities across this island.

The DMAP put forward today is a significant development, which I welcome. A huge amount of work went into preparing these DMAPs and I acknowledge the significant consultation. When we on the Oireachtas committee met with representatives from the Department, we heard from political parties across the board about the need to move at pace in this regard. The need to get this right and to move further with DMAP is something the Minister of State will hear from all contributors who follow me.

It would be remiss of me not to raise the issue of the marine protected areas Bill. This is something that has to happen. These things should happen in parallel. It is deeply regrettable that more progress has not been made in that regard. I heard from the junior Minister with responsibility in this area last week and there were protests outside the Dáil. I commend Fair Seas and others that do really positive and good work in this area. They are an example of the type of collaborative approach we need to take in this area. We do need to see progress in that regard, however, and I hope to see it as soon as possible. It does not look like it is going to happen under this Government, which is deeply disappointing, but it is really important work for whoever takes up that mantle.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am very pleased to have an opportunity to make a short contribution on what I regard as a very important motion. It is part of a long process in which we in these Houses have been involved for some time. The Minister of State described it as a landmark proposal, and it is. Spatial planning for our marine environment is a relatively new concept. In the past, it was almost a free-for-all in terms of the territorial waters but, now, the State is actually designating where activities are appropriate and proper, in consultation. All of that is to be welcomed.

The objective of this motion, obviously, is to identify four maritime areas for designated marine area plans off the Wexford and Waterford coasts. As I said, so far, so good. This is really important. The consultation at local level is important, as is the overwhelming support the Minister of State has garnered for this development, because it is an essential part of our future. We really need to decarbonise, and the potential is there to do a really good job. So far, so good. I have nothing but positive things to say. Then I put in the "but". The "but" is that the Government is great at drafting the plans, talking them through the Dáil and garnering support for this. The problem now is in the doing of it. It really is important.

I can speak very clearly from a Wexford perspective. Wexford is ready and eager to go. The communities of Wexford, the South East Technological University and Wexford County Council have all been engaged in preparing for offshore renewable energy for a very long time. What we do not have is onshore infrastructure ready in time. The previous speaker mentioned the fact that there is only one port on the island available to service offshore energy. I chair the economics committee of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly and we carried out an analysis of that. In fact, the Department made a very positive contribution to those deliberations, as did its British counterparts. We visited ports across these islands. There are basically two ports that can service these particular designated areas now. One is in Belfast and the other is in Liverpool. It is just not good enough that we have no designated port capable of servicing these sites in our own jurisdiction. The Minister of State might refer to Rosslare Europort. We are desperately anxious to make Rosslare the designated port to service offshore energy off the coasts of counties Wicklow, Wexford and Waterford. It is the logical place for it. The only investment that has gone in there now - there is currently very significant investment of €250 million or a little bit more - is made up entirely of Brexit adjustment funds coming from the European Union. There is no state aid or support from Ireland. It is not the pivotal expansion that is needed to ensure we have a vibrant support base for offshore energy that would be very jobs-rich for the south east generally. We need to improve our rail infrastructure into Rosslare. We are talking about it. I am talking to a Green Party Minister of State; rail should be in his heart. Where are the plans and investment to ensure that the rail infrastructure is capable of servicing this critically important energy source and industry for our nation for the next 20, 30, 40 and 50 years? That is the timeframe in which we should be thinking and investing.

My view on this is very straightforward and I speak passionately, I hope, for the people of Wexford. We want this to succeed. We see this as our future. However, we cannot do that unless the Government is not a hands-off observer. I have spoken to senior Ministers in the Government who tell me they cannot really pick a winner in terms of ports. If we do not pick a winner, we will not have a winner. I talk to the industry suppliers. I have gone to their conferences. They are desperately anxious for us to have a port that is capable, that they can see right now, so that when they are putting in their multi-billion euro investments, they know they are backing a winner. I hope that when this motion is passed today, as it will be with the enthusiastic support of this House, the basic onshore infrastructure, in terms of a port in Rosslare, the rail links into it and the general infrastructure to support what must be a critical part of our future, is in place.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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I too, welcome this motion and the development of the DMAPs. I recognise the enormous amount of work and consultation that went into bringing them about. I also acknowledge the fact that during the consultation period the Minister of State did listen to the environmental groups and took into consideration the environmental assessment needs of these areas.

My comments are probably more to do with processes and the ambition of Ireland going forward. What we see with the production of the DMAPs is reflected in our regulatory system as well, which is a sort of linear approach - that we will do the DMAPS and then we will move on to the next step. In order for us to achieve the ambitions for the potential Ireland has in offshore, we need multiple parts of various agencies working on this so that we get DMAPs done, but we also get the floating offshore designations done, and it is all being worked in parallel.

We are in a race against time. It is not just a race against time because of climate change and the impact in that regard whereby we need to meet our emissions targets. There is also an innovation race against time and a business race against time. We are literally in competition with other countries, which are progressing in their ambitions quicker than we are. The ESB, a State agency, is working off the coast of Scotland, as we speak, on a floating offshore wind development with the Scots. Why are we not doing it here? We have so much potential and we, and the Government, need to grasp it and put in the resources, because it is resource intensive.

There is much talking, discussions and analysis to be done. I urge the Minister of State to put the resources in because this is Ireland's great opportunity to work with the resources we have and to own them, and be a leader in this area. We must see that level of ambition from the Government in terms of where it is putting its money and its trust. The Government must really push for that.

We also need to take risks. We must invest in various technologies. We must acknowledge that some of the projects may not actually eventuate. We may make mistakes. Money may be lost in certain projects, but if we invest enough in innovation we will actually get it right with some of our projects. That is key for us to do.

I wish to raise the recent ESRI study on the impact of deadline times on our ambitions when it comes to offshore developments. It refers also to a linear approach. That is something that must be addressed. We must have a review of the regulatory system. What the ESRI has identified is that developers must go through a certain number of gates, and sometimes the gates only open once a year. We must be able to deal with them on a multiple basis because otherwise, if a developer does not hit that sweet spot at that particular time, they may have to wait for a year in order to pass through the gate again. That is obviously a big flaw in the system we have.

I also want to talk about the marine protected areas and I only have a minute left. When talking about climate or emissions measures I am keen to also talk about nature and biodiversity. We have missed an opportunity to move on marine protected area legislation. It is very disappointing that we have not got it to the floor of the Dáil yet. It has been mentioned that the legislation could potentially be ready at the end of the year, but we all know that will not be the case. We are all ready for an election. The posters are ready. Everyone is ready to go, so it is very disappointing that in the five years of this Government, despite this being a key programme for Government commitment, the legislation is not in place.

I notice that when the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, was talking this week, he said that we have already reached one third of the goal of having 30% of marine areas protected. He sees that as a positive. I agree that it is positive that we have designated 10% of marine areas, but I want to be very clear: we cannot confuse designation with protection. They are two very different things. There are no additional measures put in place to protect marine biodiversity or nature for the majority of the areas that have been designated. We cannot rely on paper parks. That would be a major problem.

I recently met with an international scientist who did a survey just off the Blasket Islands, in one of the new protected areas. He looked at me and said: "What are you doing in Ireland? I have never come across a marine area as depleted of nature as we have here, and this is designated." Designation does not equal protection. We have an awful lot more to do when it comes to protecting marine areas.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome today's motion and the fact that we now have the DMAPs for the south coast. I am very supportive of offshore renewable energy and its importance to the future infrastructure needs of the south east in particular, but also the State and the island, as well as its importance for Ireland reaching its climate action targets, becoming more carbon-neutral and also in terms of new investment coming into regions.

I met Waterford Port several times in the past two years. I have made it a priority of mine to advance its asks and needs. When we look at the south east and the potential for offshore renewable energy there, Waterford Port must be part of that. It has a plan to play its part in the servicing and maintenance of offshore renewable energy, ORE. It is not in competition with Rosslare Europort. There is space for both ports in the south east to play a very constructive and positive role in ORE in the region.

The potential is wider than that. We had very good meetings as well in the south east, not just with the two ports, but also with the South East Technological University, which has a role to play as well. There are ambitious plans in place that will require resources and commitment, but if we want to reach the goal of energy independence and set ourselves aside from other regions and countries then the direction of travel - others can have different opinions - is that we must take climate action seriously. Industry knows what is required and that regulation is coming. It also knows that those areas that are looking at energy independence, infrastructure, and offshore renewable energy are ahead of the curve, and they are the places they will want to invest. There is no point in companies investing and locking themselves into a region that is still dependent on carbon, which everybody knows is going to change quite rapidly.

If we want to reach the climate action targets that we have set, this is a key part of it. We can talk about the role of individuals, as that is important, but there is a big and important role for the State in regard to energy infrastructure.

I welcome the publication of the DMAPs. There must be ongoing engagement with communities, which has been the case in this instance. I refer to fishing communities and people who live on the coast who have concerns about environmental impacts. Those concerns are important. It was all part of the process, but there must be continuous engagement. There will always be people who will have concerns. People will still raise concerns even when we land on a solution. At some point the Minister will have to call it. At other points, he will have to say: "Here are the maps, this is what is going to be auctioned. We need to move. We need to be ready for this and then we need to deliver." I get that. I appreciate that, but we must always engage and listen to communities and those who have concerns.

I urge the Government to back the port in Waterford. It must look at a plan where both ports complement the other, so that they are not in competition. The Government must also ensure there are links with the university and others who want to be world leaders, and exemplars, even in this State, in relation to offshore renewable energy. If they have the capability, vision, drive, and the management and the people to do it, then we must provide the resources to let them do it. The DMAP is an important component part of the process but equipping ports and resourcing them is equally if not more important.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I have very mixed feelings about this motion. I am not from the south-coast area so I lack the sort of specific knowledge or guidance that would allow me to make a properly informed decision as to what I think about this motion.

We all know we need to develop renewable energy and that offshore renewable energy will be an important part of that. We should also know, however, that the development of offshore renewable energy should not come at the expense of the destruction of the marine environment or the displacement of other livelihoods. In fact, EU directives require that there is proper assessment of the impact on biodiversity, habitats and the maritime environment, and require that there should be no displacement of existing livelihoods. It is not allowed. I do not know what the fishers in that area are saying on this because I am not in conversation with them. If they are listening to this debate and want to message me, I would be interested to hear what they have to say about this.

I assume some of these areas, at least, are some of the relevant projects. I do not know if the officials or the Minister of State are willing to give us a nod as to whether they are or are not the relevant projects. Is that what they are called? They are not. Okay. Have they been assessed as to whether they should be marine protected areas? That is what I want to know, because we have campaigned for a proper planned approach to the development of our maritime area. The Government has done it the other way around in letting the developers decide which sites they want and then the State retrospectively rubber-stamps them by designating the areas the developers have already selected, in the absence of any prior consultation with stakeholders or proper assessment of whether those areas should be marine protected. Are they suitable? The developers have chosen a lot of these sites.

One person who sent me some notes said area A - there are areas A, B, C and D, if I understand this DMAP correctly - is known as the EirGrid area. I do not know if that is true. It is just from notes I have been sent, but it is concerning to me. Are the developers dictating the location of these sites and the designation of these areas as suitable? Have they been assessed for whether they should be marine protected areas? Has there been a proper consultation? I see reference to non-statutory consultations in the notes I got. What does a non-statutory consultation mean? Is it a consultation as required by Aarhus? Is it compliant with all the EU directives in terms of protecting our maritime environment, not displacing existing livelihoods and not destroying biodiversity in the name of addressing climate change?

A point I have made many times is that the biodiversity crisis is every bit as important as and imminent - arguably more imminent - than the climate crisis in terms of the potential for whole ecosystems to collapse. Notes sent to me suggest that area A in particular is an extremely sensitive spawning ground for fish. Has there been an assessment as to what the possible damage might be if we develop that particular site? I know the Kish Bank and the Codling Bank are areas that should not be developed because they are sensitive, or at least need to be fully assessed for the potential impact on marine life, on spawning grounds and on the displacement of existing livelihoods. I have deep concerns this is developer led rather than being based on the best principles of sustainable development. If we want to save our planet, we have to save biodiversity as well as taking urgent action, as we must, to develop renewable energy to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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As many of my colleagues have said, we support DMAPs. A number of people have spoken to the fact that a period of time was lost in bringing them about. We know the potential in offshore wind. If we are serious about decarbonisation and renewables, we know, given our geography - I am also not from the south coast - and certain other advantages we have, the benefits that exist and what we could achieve in becoming what has been referred to as a wind superpower. At this time, we have what can best be called a lost opportunity, but it is about ensuring this happens. I agree with what other speakers have said about consultation and engagement. We have all dealt with projects at different times where there would have been issues relating to the marine and fishermen and whatever else. It is about making sure people are compensated where necessary and, even beyond that, you allow for continuity and the continuation of their ability to make a living. That is necessary.

We know that far larger questions need to be dealt with, including with the planning system in Ireland. We have made proposals to make sure, even at its most simplistic, that An Bord Pleanála has all the resources it requires and, beyond that, that the Marine Area Regulatory Authority would have sufficient resources in order that it would not cause an impasse if we attempt to make the journey. We have particular targets for 2030 and they do not look good at the moment. That is not only from a planning point of view but also that we have to deal with the issue of infrastructure. We know the issue that exists with ports and we know where we need the grid to be. We know if we can do that, we can move into a different place. There are particular issues with the ORESS auctions, and all of this means we are facing into not meeting those targets for 2030.

If we are talking about the benefits of offshore wind, it is hard not to speak about the recent offshore renewable energy skills assessment report. It was produced for Green Tech Skillnet and Wind Energy Ireland. It found that meeting our target of 37 GW of offshore wind energy by 2050 could be worth €38 billion to the Irish economy. That would obviously open up tens of thousands of new jobs and we do not know what other ancillary impacts and synergies that could create. We really need to ensure we are facing the right direction and we get where we need to.

I spoke yesterday about retrofitting and used a simple example. We are talking about the moves that need to be made and about 2030 targets. Louth County Council had a target for 2023 for its social housing retrofits of 105, but it was able to draw down further money and was able to deliver 205. In 2024, the target is again only 140. It is an example of something a lot smaller than delivering on this project, but we have to ensure we get our act together or we will not get to the place we need to.

Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for attending. I am somebody who obviously has an interest in this area. I come from Waterford, which along with Wexford is one of the counties that will be most impacted by this proposed wind development. I say at the start that I sold renewable energy. I am a fan of wind. We need it, and we certainly need offshore wind development. I was in Germany two years ago with a delegation and we met with members of the German parliament. Their need to develop hydrogen is real and there are obvious benefits to Ireland taking part and being able to supply the electricity for that hydrogen generation.

However, the discussion today is about this designated area of maritime planning, which the Government says it has arrived at through strategic analysis. I question that. I think most of the data used to arrive at the DMAP has come from two surveys carried out by individual players prior to this.

The Government surveys have only really started this year with the vessel Tom Crean being out since July looking at the areas in question. Yet, the Minister of State is saying there has been extensive ecological and habitat research taken on board. I would question that to be honest.

Further to that, one of the things that is most concerning to me in the context of the scale of this wind development infrastructure, whether people are aware of this or not, is that what has been proposed off the south coast will be the largest wind turbines anywhere in Europe at the moment. We are talking about 350 m pylons sunk probably 50 m or 60 m into the water. That means 290 m will be sticking out on a blade with a circumference of 100 m. It will be larger than anything else. In the DMAP presently proposed, some of those would be as close as 12 km to the Copper Coast shoreline, that is approximately six and a half miles. To understand that, standing on the promenade in Tramore looking out to Brownstown Head, is an area of about 3.5 miles direct line of sight. The top of the old signal towers there are 100 m to the water depth. What we are talking about is putting something twice as large out twice as far. People will be shocked at what that might look like. In terms of the consultation process, I do not believe that the players involved have really shown to people what the impact of these will be.

This raises questions as to why we are using and prescribing fixed bottom wind here when floating wind is coming up. I have spoken to people and players and everybody says floating wind is too far away. Floating wind is being developed in many other countries with commercial projects. The closest example that we have now is the Green Volt floating project, which will have 35 floating turbines generating up to 560 MW of electricity and they will be located 75 km off the coast of Aberdeenshire in Scotland. This will be powered up by 2029. What we are doing here is, we understand we are probably coming late to the party but we are also using the oldest technology, which is fixed bottom wind. Fixed bottom wind works fine in areas that are not areas of significance. However, I would argue that the south coast of Waterford and our Copper Coast is an area of very strategic significance to us. It is part of our tourism opportunity. I am worried about what the impact of this may be on that.

I have also raised in the past with some of the players involved some of the other contentions, such as this idea that we are going to have many thousands of jobs. I heard the Minister for the environment mention in the House one day that up to 50,000 jobs will be created. At the moment there are about seven wind farm projects being worked on off the east coast of England. The infrastructure requirement there is about 4,000 jobs presently, I was told. I am not therefore sure how all these jobs are going to come about. More importantly, we need the wind but we need also to be cognisant of the proximity to shore and, as other speakers have said, the impacts to our marine diversity.

Within the Tonn Nua, the range of that goes out to about 12 miles. The question is, the depth of water is critical, as the deeper the water, the more difficult it is to put these pylons in. Yet they are being done in other areas at up to 65 m and 70 m depths, yet we are prescribing areas with 40 m depths, which is going to put them too close to the shore.

Beyond that, I have a different question on some of the contracts pricing. The community wind dividend is based on the amount of wind generated, so there is no certainty as to where that will be and how that will roll out. Beyond that, we have put two strategic reserve funds into place recently in this House. The idea is for a rainy day fund for the future and a climate protection fund. Why do we not take the position to try to invest in some of this infrastructure from the get-go? Anybody who has been around this country for more than 30 years can probably remember what happened with offshore oil exploration and Kinsale gas and Corrib gas, where the State ultimately gave away the large majority of ownership to the private sector and we charged consumers into the future based on that. We are repeating that model now in terms of this wind infrastructure. Why would the State not do what they did in Scotland and step in, take an equity share in this, support the developers for sure, get on board and give some of the ownership and the long-term investment potential of this wind energy to the Irish State? We have shown no ambition whatsoever to do that.

I have great concerns about this and they have not been allayed by industry. There is a significant question yet as to the ability even of those who will bid for the licences that are going to come up in coming months to implement at the prices they will tender for. There is a significant danger we will award licences to offshore developers and they will tell the Irish State subsequently that they cannot provide the infrastructure but are so advanced that it would take years for someone else to do it. That will result in a different consumer price. It may certainly disadvantage our SME and manufacturing sectors that are trying to compete for energy based on export potential.

I see where the Government is going. I see lots of deficits. I will wait to see and hear more on what this proposal is.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I welcome the opportunity. As previous speakers have said, it is not my area but the concerns belong to all of us. I have serious concerns that this is developer driven. I will come back to that in relation to Sceirde off the coast of Connemara.

It has to be welcomed that we have a plan. However, that plan is being done in a vacuum where only 9% of our marine areas are protected. I understand Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, expressed his frustration and disappointment only two days ago at the failure to progress the marine protection plan - the specific name escapes me - to have marine protected areas. We have 9%. We were promised that simultaneously with the other plan on which this is based. Nothing has happened. That is a great cause for concern. Our sea mass is seven times our land mass. It is our greatest asset.

My concern is, not alone is the plan in a vacuum but we are now proceeding with the exact same developer-led industrial model where we will keep growing without any concept that that very model has led us to the precipice and led us to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency back in 2019. I am all for growth and for sustainable growth and I am absolutely behind renewable energy, but this is a frightening concept, that the same market approach is being taken and big profit-driven developers are now determining which part of our seas will be used, where the wind farms will go and we have no idea. This is the first attempt to set out a plan in a vacuum. There is also, as I understand it, no economic, social and economic assessment of the fishermen in the area and the effect this project will have on their livelihoods. Has that been done? If not, when will it be done? Why has it not been done?

I have no idea why the marine protected area legislation did not go ahead. I understand the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan's frustration. You are the Government. He talks about it being complex. It certainly is complex. Our oceans are complex. They are vital to the future direction of where we go. If we go with the same model that has led us to the precipice of destruction, we are in serious trouble here, looking at the first map that is coming in. In the meantime Sceirde, off the coast of Carna in Connemara, is planning an offshore wind farm. The term "offshore" is completely misleading because it is 5 km from the shore near. "Nearshore" might be a better term for it. It is utterly developer-led.

A memo went to Údarás na Gaeltachta with the usual type of empty rhetoric we get, such as that there will be jobs, there will be things for the community and there will be a community benefit. I do not trust big developers. I do not trust the company behind this. It is an Australian company, a huge asset management company that is leading the development off the coast of Carna. How do we let that happen? Have we learned nothing at all? Deputy Shanahan talked about turbines. On the map for Carna, the turbines are three times the size of the Eiffel Tower, just 5 km from the shore. Calling that offshore is a misnomer. I understand it is to power 350,000 houses. Surely we have learned that we cannot go down the road of big business. Companies are entitled to make a profit but community must be based in the solution, not a divide and conquer situation like the Shell to Sea campaign where we throw a few euro at GAA clubs, soccer clubs and various clubs. There must be a long-term investment for the community to bring the community on board. I have no idea why the turbines have to be three times the size of the Eiffel Tower. I could say I have no idea why the Government is not balancing this, but I should not say that; I do actually have an idea.

I am disappointed that the Government is not balancing this; it is David and Goliath. There is no way people on the ground can cope with the expertise these companies have and fight that battle. I want to be on the side of green and renewables - I am, but I have the most serious concerns about what is happening in a vacuum not just with the plan, with no marine protected areas, but with what is happening off the coast of Carna. I will find myself in a very difficult position because I can see no justification for turbines so high and near the shore with no plan whatsoever and no guarantee of what ownership we or the people of Connemara will have so that they can be part of the change for a new Ireland.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Go raibh maith ag an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach agus táim buíoch de gach Teachta as páirt a ghlacadh sa díospóireacht thábhachtach seo.

I have remarks generally framed from my Department's point of view, which leads out on Powering Prosperity. I will try to refer to some of the more constructive comments. If I do not get to a Deputy's point, I will provide information to them. One thing on which everyone in the House agrees is the need to progress this agenda. We all realise that weather events, as we can see in Florida and saw across our country last weekend, show the need to move with urgency in this space. From an economic point of view, we have an enormous resource which we now have a chance to capture and use to drive our green transition. We have ambitious offshore wind deployment targets of 5 GW by 2030, only five years away, 20 GW by 2040 and 37 GW by 2050. To deliver on that, over the past four years, the Government put a number of key milestones in place. We established the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA, and prioritised its resourcing. MARA will manage and regulate sustainable activities in our seas and oceans. We also legislated to positively change the management of our seas through the enactment of the Maritime Area Planning Act and established the national marine planning framework.

There were concerns around the marine protected areas, MPAs. Environmental protection including the protection of biodiversity was central to the establishment of the draft south coast DMAP. It acknowledges that the escalating climate emergency is accompanied by a similar crisis of biodiversity, to speak to Deputy Boyd Barrett's point in particular. The four maritime areas in the south coast DMAP were identified after a comprehensive environmental constraints analysis. This analysis identified and prohibited developments in those areas of greatest environmental sensitivity. There are no overlaps between the four maritime areas and EU special protected areas, SPAs, or special areas of conservation, SAC. This includes the seas off Wexford candidate SPA which was recently designated by the NPWS. The new MPA legislation is at an advanced stage of development. However, in advance of that legislation being enacted, the MPA advisory group of independent experts conducted an ecological sensitivity analysis of the Celtic Sea which was published for everyone to see in June. A core objective of this analysis was to provide spatial recommendations for potential future MPA designations in the Celtic Sea which may inform decisions regarding the location of offshore wind developments such as those we are discussing. The MPA advisory group findings highlighted minimal overlap between these areas identified for possible future MPA designations and the four maritime areas in the draft south coast DMAP. The draft DMAP we are discussing today includes provisions that all offshore wind developments must have regard to relevant future protected site designations and new and improved environmental data. That will include possible future MPA designations by the Minister for housing.

We have also been working hard to increase co-operation in the deployment of offshore renewable energy with our EU peers and our peers in Scotland, England and Wales over the past three years including through the North Seas Energy Cooperation. That collaboration will be critical to delivering the offshore grids and electricity interconnection that opens up export opportunities for these resources. That co-operation will also be critical in the environmental and biodiversity protection space so that we can share common information. The results of Ireland's first offshore wind auction last year marked the clearest signal yet that offshore renewables can and will provide an affordable green and secure alternative to imported fossil fuels. The publication of Powering Prosperity, Ireland's offshore wind industrial strategy, by my Department in March confirms that we as a Government are committed to placing the development of offshore renewables at the heart of Ireland's economic growth in the years and decades to come. I pay tribute to the former Minister, Deputy Coveney, for leading out on this. In the implementation of this strategy, the Government will continue to work closely with industry to unlock significant investment opportunities to drive forward our renewable energy ambitions. The notion that we would work in isolation without the expertise is quite frankly ridiculous and would not allow us to maximise economic return. Our Department alongside Enterprise Ireland will enable companies to play a major role in the development of Irish projects. It will support Irish companies to increase their activities in overseas markets. I travelled in recent years to WindEurope with Irish companies doing global-leading work in this space. The all-of-government offshore wind delivery task force will continue to co-ordinate and drive the effective delivery of this sector. It will mobilise our entire society to capture this once-in-a-generation opportunity. That includes ensuring Irish citizens and business are equipped with training and the necessary skills to enable Ireland to maximise benefits from the deployment of offshore renewable energy and the wider green transition.

Many people raised in this debate concerns around fishers and the impact on them. The implementation of the plan we are discussing will not take place at the expense of fishers or the wider seafood sector, which is crucial, as Deputy Shanahan said, in this part of the country, particularly along the Copper Coast and south coast. In preparing the draft plan, fishers were more extensively consulted than any other stakeholder group. That was facilitated through a dedicated DMAP fisheries liaison officer employed by the Government since summer 2023. Numerous meetings took place between Government officials and fish producer organisations, regional and local fishing groups and individual fishers along the south coast. These engagements directly shaped the preparation of the DMAP. There are eight policy objectives in the DMAP targeted at maximising opportunities for co-existence between offshore and commercial fishing. These conditions must be adhered to by project developers and will ensure that commercial fishing can continue within offshore wind farms in the DMAP area. Some of those policies in the DMAP include a requirement that no mandatory exclusions may be imposed on fishing within offshore farms bar exceptional circumstances related to safety. It is a further requirement that offshore wind projects must employ fishery liaison officers to facilitate ongoing and comprehensive engagement with local fishers. They must also establish a fisheries management and mitigation strategy. It is a requirement of the DMAP that developers must adhere to the principle in the first instance of seeking to avoid or minimise adverse impact on fishers.

There were some queries about floating versus fixed offshore. The south coast DMAP exclusively provides for the deployment of fixed offshore wind projects as was referred to by Deputy Shanahan. This reflects the prevailing sea depths off the south coast which, at less than 75 m, are or will shortly be suitable for fixed technology. Fixed offshore wind is a proven technology that has been delivered at scale in other jurisdictions and is supported by an existing global supply chain, thereby offering the best prospects for accelerated development. As highlighted by the results in 2023 of our first successful offshore wind auction, fixed offshore wind can be deployed at an affordable cost to Irish electricity consumers. Floating offshore wind is an important emerging technology which will make a significant contribution towards meeting Ireland’s medium- and long-term renewable energy objectives. Floating technology will be particularly important within deeper waters beyond the technological capabilities for fixed offshore wind in the south-west Celtic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Future offshore DMAPs in the coming years will identify prospective maritime areas for deployment of this technology beyond 2030.

Area 1 was referred to many times. Area 1 is Tonn Nua, which has been identified for the first 900 MW. It is situated just over 12 km from the shore at its closest point. Deputy Shanahan raised that point; it is aligned with similar distances in existing and planned projects globally and throughout Europe. Earlier, this year, Denmark designed six new offshore wind development areas, all of which are located closer than 22 km from the shore and a number of which are 15 km or closer to the shore.

3 o’clock

The location of fixed offshore wind projects globally is determined by water depth rather than by distance to shore. The average water depth of Tonn Nua is 59 m, which makes it an exceptionally deep water development by any global standard. To move Tonn Nua into deeper waters would delay deployment timelines and undermine our legally binding climate targets, which is due to the technical constraints of deployment of fixed offshore wind in sea depths beyond 70 m.

In order to address some of the adverse visual impacts Deputy Shanahan referred to, the DMAP requires all project must prepare a seascape, landscape and visual impact assessment to avoid, reduce or mitigate likely significant effects on visual amenities. That applies to Deputy Connolly's point as well. I will engage with Deputy Shanahan afterwards as my time is up.

I welcome the agreement in the House to this motion This is an exciting start to a chapter. Most of the concerns are legitimate and genuine and they will be dealt with in the process. I heard many Deputies hoping An Bord Pleanála would be adequately resourced and decision-making would be efficient; I recall many of those Deputies voted against the Planning and Development Bill, which seeks to do that, last night.

Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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I ask the Minister of State to put on the record the size of the turbines he referenced in Denmark, which are closer to shore than he suggested.