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This Government’s priority remains the delivery of a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system built around renewable energy. As an island nation, we possess some of the best wind resources in Europe, and that potential must remain at the centre of our energy policy. Over

Wind generation is supported mainly through the legacy renewable energy feed-in tariff, REFIT, schemes and the renewable electricity support scheme, RESS, and funded also through public service obligations, PSO. These supports are a critical enabler of the investment needed to underpin a renewables-led energy system. Over

connected into the grid and we would be supplying half of Europe with cheap energy because of the investment we were going to make into offshore wind. This Government and the previous Government have missed two, if not three, targets for offshore wind at this point and will … generate a single kilowatt of offshore wind until the early 2030s. That is the position we are in, yet energy bills climb continuously without any respite. We were also told we could expect a retrofitting revolution, that homes would be warmer and cheaper to heat and those

consistent with the climate action plan. I want continued expansion of renewables and the acceleration of clean energy across all the different methods that we can, be they solar, wind, anaerobic digestion, AD, biomethane and all of that, to feed into our energy system. That is where

strategic infrastructure, especially in energy and digital networks. As a country possessed of renewable resources, particularly offshore wind, Ireland has an opportunity to become a key supplier of clean energy to Europe, provided we make the necessary investments in grid infrastructure and interconnections. Europe is not just

beyond what we would need to put in clean solutions such as wind, solar and, hopefully, wave, which is not being used nearly enough. More importantly, the use of nuclear energy as a solution to the security of supply for Ireland would build up enormous problems for future … central. We should be moving towards becoming energy independent. That should the end point of all our energy goals. We have the natural resources to do it. We have the wind, and I am told we have the solar. Even though it might feel like it today

family to the tune of approximately €250. Other companies will follow. We need an independent analysis of why Ireland has the second-highest energy costs in the European Union. Most of us practising politicians will understand why that is the case. We know we are still … reach our targets in respect of what former Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar rightly said was our moonshot moment, that is, offshore wind generation. We can be more energy-efficient, we can meet our energy demands and we can be net exporters of energy if we do that

million households with a cumulative income below €80,000. It would be a €400 energy credit to assist families with rising energy and electricity costs. With the increase in wholesale gas prices in recent times, if we think electricity prices are elevated now, after Christmas and coming into … Deputy Leo Varadkar a few years ago. That moonshot moment was supposed to be the development of large-scale offshore wind generation to provide us with the energy security we need and clean energy that would ultimately see Ireland become a net exporter of energy. Again, the vision

renewable generation to match demand at the time it occurs. This is important because wind and solar generation levels vary depending on the time of day and the weather. By contrast, data centre energy demand is hugely inflexible … requires a highly reliable electricity supply around the clock. A company could satisfy an annual renewable energy requirement while still relying on fossil fuel generation for significant periods when wind and solar output is low. That distinction matters. Ireland's electricity system already faces constraints in integrating increasing

about the issue of energy security, it would be investing in battery storage, interconnectors, and different forms of renewable energy that work in different weather conditions, including wind, solar, hydro and so on. What is this about? It is about being friendly to Donald Trump. This

Finally, I want to talk about the lack of a long-term vision. We have repeatedly introduced measures to help households cope with energy shocks but we have done far too little to ensure they do not happen again. At household level, we should dramatically expand retrofitting, solar … vision extended beyond a single budget cycle. We need a serious national investment programme focused on offshore wind, grid expansion, interconnectors, battery storage, green hydrogen and wave and tidal energy. This is not going to be cheap. Grid upgrades alone could require between €10 billion and €20 billion

climate, our economy and people's pockets. The good news is that we have doubled our wind capacity in a ten-year period. We now have over 8 GW of renewable energy connected to our system. We have about 1.4 GW of solar on rooftops. Solar is growing … week I visited Bord na Móna's Derrinlough wind farm, which is one of the largest wind farms in the country. Bord na Móna is generating over 1 GW of renewable energy. It was a fossil-based peat company that has transitioned fully to green energy

approach. This budget is a missed opportunity to end our over-reliance on fossil fuels. Renewable sources such as offshore wind provide cheaper, more reliable and sustainable energy that will protect us in a volatile global market, but this needs to be done collaboratively with local communities

advice available to me in Government is that the pathway to advancing the supply is through renewables and offshore wind development. However, I will ask the Minister for energy to respond to the Deputy's proposal directly

with the Deputy on both fronts. I think we all agree that we need to invest more in renewable energies. We need to invest more in offshore wind and in solar of all types, not just on land but on roofs and on our public sector and service … approved and more applications are coming in. It is important that we get that balance right. We all support the expansion of renewable energy. We know we need more of it given all of the discussion we have had this morning on fuel prices, the increase in prices

look behind the curtain and look at the reality, we see that not a single offshore wind project has been delivered. A country that should be a renewable energy powerhouse, creating jobs, strengthening our energy security and bringing down bills, is lagging so far behind. Where

energy system we have today while we accelerate the transition to the system we need tomorrow. Gas safety is part of today's system but tomorrow's system must be built at speed, especially on renewables. Ireland has ambitious targets for offshore wind, and Government has repeatedly stated … renewed focus on delivery across renewables, particularly wind and solar, and specifically a step-change in momentum on offshore wind off the west coast. The last Minister for energy spent too much time tinkering around the edges and not enough time delivering solutions we need

every house, industrial premises, school and shed in Ireland. Tonight, not one bulb will be lit using energy from the Irish Sea. A planning application for 53 wind turbines off the coast of Arklow is tied up in the planning process. It must be expedited. We need these

fivefold since 2005, the milestone of over 2GW (gigawatts) of installed solar capacity was achieved in November; — offshore wind capacity is also being prioritised, with the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, announcing the acceleration of the National Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) for offshore renewable energy

absolutely committed to continuing the transition to renewable energy. We are making progress on that with onshore wind. We have created the infrastructure, which I set up in my previous Department under the marine planning Act and the creation of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA. We have … bring forward proposals to Government shortly regarding the acceleration of the designated maritime area plan, DMAP, process. Ireland's future is with green energy. It will be good for our economy, climate and people. In the meantime, we have to make sure we prepare for events we cannot

Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update offshore wind projects; the amount of offshore wind that is expected to be connected by 2030, 2032 and 2035, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43821/26

practical measure at no cost to the Exchequer. The Government needs to sort that out. The move to renewable energy is painfully slow. We have zero offshore wind. Anaerobic digestion is minuscule. Hydro is non-existent. Solar is only starting up. I support the call to improve

wherever else we get it. Ultimately, that is not good enough. We need to deliver our own energy and invest in our own infrastructure, whether wind farms or solar, but we need to do it quickly

programmes in key sectors like agriculture, the marine, forestry, construction and business, as well as expanding the Skillnet offshore wind academy to train workers for the renewable energy sector. I am very pleased with some of the measures in budget 2026 outside my Department, in particular the major

four really good priority risks identified well in the report. These include the risk of disruption and damage to energy transmission and distribution infrastructure due to extreme wind, which is exactly what happened during Storm Éowyn. There is a similar risk to communications, which is also what happened