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households in arrears. People are unable to pay for the basics in a country that is supposedly rich. Some €523 million worth of wind energy was wasted last year because of our crumbling grid infrastructure. That was 10% of all the wind energy produced. Meanwhile, the Government … global uncertainty. Wholesale electricity prices in Ireland are nearly four times higher than in Spain. Spain is now producing enough solar and wind energy that electricity prices are no longer tied to gas. While the Irish Government has dithered and delayed, Spain has delivered. We can act quickly

expense of actual delivery. Let us look at delivery. In Ireland, we are still at best four years away from delivering any offshore wind energy. That delay is due to lack of Government ambition and government focus. It is deeply regrettable because unlike nuclear, wind power offers feasible … frightened of windmills. What else can explain the delay? There is so much more we could do. It is not just wind energy; there is also plug-in solar and enhanced battery capacity. Renewables can drastically reduce household bills. We need them to cut emissions and meet climate

handed it away, and that is the price that we pay today. This is the other issue. I heard the Taoiseach talking about wind energy. For God’s sake, does he ever talk to anybody in County Donegal? We have wind farms all across Donegal and half … them remain dormant because the electricity infrastructure is not there. There is no point talking about solar and wind energy independence and reducing our prices when we are allowing these wind farms to remain dormant and are not working or functioning because we do not have the electricity

have decoupled economic growth from this issue, which is key. I set up a clearing house in my Department to drive offshore wind energy development. We are not delaying it. We brought industry in to obtain a systemic assessment of the issues that could be a factor … developing offshore wind energy generation. The Deputy knows what has happened in the US, where there is a public policy against offshore wind. That is impacting on the economics. We are driving forward

want to raise once again the question of wind energy guidelines. Last year when I entered this Chamber, I was anxious to understand when the planning guidelines would be updated both for wind energy, the towering tall 185 m high turbines and of course for solar energy. There

issue. The Planning and Development Act 2024 replaces the ministerial guidelines with national planning statements. The existing section 28 guidelines, including the 2006 wind energy guidelines, remain in force until replaced. The Department of Climate, Communications and the Environment, as the lead policy Department for renewable energy, supports … will include environmental reporting, public consultation, EU obligations, and matters such as setback distances, noise and shadow flicker. A focused review of the wind energy development guidelines is informing the new national planning statement. That national planning statement will address noise, setback distances, shadow flicker, community obligations

living through the second global fossil fuel crisis in five years. We are increasingly vulnerable as long as we depend on energy imports. Unless we take action to diversify away from fossil fuels, we will again be hit by the next crisis. When that hits, pensioners, the sick … generate our own clean, affordable power. That means we must generate power from our own huge offshore wind and wave energy resources. Wind Energy Ireland says this requires sustained support from the Government, Eirgrid, the regulator and others in order to ensure that every available resource is aligned

private wire is simple. It is a direct cable from a renewable source such as a solar farm, a wind turbine or a battery energy storage system. There is no grid queue and no six-year wait. My Bill would give more powers to the Commission for Regulation … case at present. We are losing foreign direct investment to countries with cheaper, cleaner and more certain energy. I was at the wind energy conference yesterday

profits or the projects have enhanced their quality of life in return for the inconvenience. I am a huge supporter of wind energy, but we have to ensure that there is a community dividend. This would also apply from a national perspective to offshore wind and stuff … coast. We need battery storage and maybe hydroelectric, a Turlough Hill-type project, that would be capable of holding onto the energy generated by using offshore wind, the waves on the west coast and the tides in the Shannon Estuary and off the coast of Dublin. We have

made. A huge amount also needs to be done from the point of view of energy, whether we are talking about biogas or wind energy. We also need to deal with the infrastructural disaster in the area of wastewater, which has a huge impact in Louth

solutions. The clearing house in the Taoiseach's Department for offshore renewable energy is welcome. However, having spoken to developers of wind energy and long duration energy storage, the people who will help us to decentralise our grid, these stakeholders need to see action. In regard

down and check, as have the British. That is a huge vulnerability. That is why we are doing the strategic LNG energy reserve that we are providing in the mid-west. Deputy Ó Murchú raised the same issue with roads that Deputy Malcolm Byrne raised. Again, that … catalyst to more renewables. When I say we need a political debate, the point is that people object to solar, wind energy and gas generation stations. I keep asking myself how we will turn the lights on if we object to all of it. We need to work

cynical political stunt because the Government has withdrawn them in the harder times that are here now. The failure to deal with the energy companies is unforgivable because it was Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil policy that gave away what was a proud electrification system built … have a failure, not only in how the Government privatised what was a proud publicly owned amenity but then, if we look at wind energy on land, half the turbines are turned off because the electricity infrastructure is not there. If we look at offshore renewable energy

what more can be done in the budget in October to assist with what is an energy crisis for the world and an energy affordability crisis for many people. We have taken a number of measures in the here and now to try to assist people with fuel … making progress. We have seen electricity generation from renewables increase fivefold since 2005. In February, which was only a couple of months ago, wind energy provided a record 50% of our electricity and Ireland has reached a record circa 8 GW of renewable generation capacity, up from only

skills, we have great, educated people here, but we need to reskill to have more trades and more practical work. With regard to wind energy and solar, why is it always big companies that are coming into communities to do these projects? CRH is trying to build

There is now a health and safety onus and a moral obligation to ensure that land proximate to wind turbines is dezoned from wind energy to safeguard key national radar infrastructure

called Powering Ireland's Energy Future. It said Ireland had an opportunity to be a global leader in integrating variable renewable energies, particularly wind, into our energy system. It did not consider nuclear technology as feasible for inclusion in the Irish energy system in the timeframe

recognition that the next phase of Irish industrial development is going to be defined by transformation in solar, wind, public transport, energy and the digital transition. That is where the investment and jobs are going. That is why Ireland needs to position itself to lead or it will … country that is prosperous and secure, then we need to be the country that transforms. That means decisive investment in renewable energy - onshore and offshore wind and solar - and grid infrastructure. It means a public transport system worthy of a European capital and of every town in this

Time." In Ireland we have huge potential for a hopeful vision and we have a natural gift of 540 GW of renewable energy in offshore wind. We can achieve energy independence if we have the requisite motivation and we can return to the days when

advancing critical infrastructure and public projects and listening to the voices of objectors. It concerns me hugely that just this week, a large wind farm company objected to, and had overruled, planning permission that had been granted to a private family for a private dwelling just outside Thurles … opposed planning and put the family through the wringer of An Coimisúin Pleanála had nothing to do with the principles of renewable energy or wind turbines and their rotational impact. The objection dealt with the county development plan and the entitlement the family would have, as local rural

workforce needed to sustain it. To prevent talent gaps and keep pace with rapid change, we need ambitious investment in renewable energy, offshore wind, grid connectivity and innovation capacity. The green transition presents enormous opportunities for skilled employment and regional development, if properly planned. Success in this evolving

serious about benefiting and being a leader in the EU, we need to benefit the Irish people with our offshore renewable energy, including wind

since 2011, and we still have no offshore wind at all. We had an offshore wind farm at that time, so we are actually going backwards in terms of offshore renewable energy. That is an incredible indictment of this Government. It is all the more incredible when … achieved in recent years. Spain has broken its dependency on gas in the context of electricity generation. It has put more renewable wind and solar energy in place, which means it has some of the cheapest electricity bills for households and businesses in Europe. Contrastingly, in Ireland

they are important catalysts for investment too. The point is, though, that they will use up a lot of energy so we really need the offshore wind to happen. That has faced challenges because of what has happened in the United States and the undermining of the companies … moment. We need to get those over the line by 2030 onwards and get a number of offshore wind farms up and running. That is key to the future energy sustainability of the country. There are about 2.5 GW of onshore wind in planning at the moment, with

handed attitude that State bodies can have, rather than actually having a process where everybody is heard. One imperative to develop offshore renewable energy is that it is not supposed to displace other industries. That is my understanding of EU directives in this regard. Other people's livelihoods … that they may lose their houses. That is outrageous. The whole thing is a flipping scandal. We need to develop offshore renewable wind and renewable energy, but it should be us who are doing it. The beneficiaries should be us, the owners of the sites. The site selection

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the reason consumers continue to pay for renewable (wind) energy through the public service obligation to wind farms that directed to dispatch-down their production. [39503/26

Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the review of the 2006 wind energy development guidelines; when new guidelines will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27608/26

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate; Energy and the Environment the status of all proposed offshore wind farm projects off the Irish coast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39467/26

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the total number of operational onshore wind farms in each of the past three years; the total annual electricity generated by onshore wind; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39473/26

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to address concerns raised in relation to wind farms (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37584/26

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate; Energy and the Environment the status of grid connection arrangements for offshore wind projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39468/26

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide the number of days each onshore wind farm was operational and generating electricity to the grid in each of the past three years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the steps being taken to address delays in offshore wind development which are impacting Ireland's ability to establish an indigenous green hydrogen industry; and whether the State will provide interim financial supports to hydrogen demonstration

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate; Energy and the Environment if the State remains on track to meet its offshore wind targets for 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39469/26

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the way the new Offshore Renewable Energy Career Chart will support delivery of the skills pipeline identified in the Offshore Wind Skills Action Plan 2024, particularly in meeting Ireland’s offshore wind targets; and if he will make

Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the lessons that have been learned from the operation and wind-down of the Carbon Fund, particularly around the potential wastefulness of relying on international carbon offsets instead of practical, cost-effective measures at home that

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide the total electricity output (in GWh) generated by each onshore wind farm connected to the national grid in each of the past three years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he is aware of the recent EPA-funded Noise Annoyance Mapping study on wind turbine noise (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32404/26