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which is important to mention. It is not just about missing or meeting our climate targets. Offshore wind is Ireland's single biggest opportunity to secure our own clean energy, cut bills for families, as the Minister mentioned earlier, and build a new industry with long-term jobs

people. I am sorry but I did not cover Deputy Hayes’s point about renewable energy. We did actually discuss that with President Xi. They are very conscious of our offshore wind exploration and that we are putting a lot of focus into the offshore and onshore aspects … China manufactures wind turbines at an extraordinary rate. It more or less commands the global market in solar panels. If we can get good multilateral relationships, there will be a benefit. There was a time when people felt we would not have enough supply and the supply chains

step away from that. We have to ramp up solar and wind generation. However, we can only do that if people get behind it. The Deputies who are contributing and criticising the Government for energy prices are the same Deputies who will object to renewables and to solar

When the Deputy asked that question last month, I stressed the importance of renewable energy. In Armenia, I made it very clear that our immediate focus is on offshore wind. I pointed out the very significant progress we have made in respect of onshore wind and, indeed, solar … reasons we announced investment in a strategic reserve of liquefied natural gas, LNG, for example, was to deal with the security issue of energy supply. If anything were to happen to gas interconnectors through malign third-party actors, we would need a fallback. That got attacked

thank the Minister for his response. He spoke about renewable energy. The Port of Galway presently handles about 20% of Ireland's onshore wind development components. Unfortunately, the Port of Galway has been judged by its existing tonnage capability rather than what it can achieve and will achieve

electricity so far this year has been generated through clean renewable sources. We have doubled our wind capacity in ten years and solar is a major part of our energy mix now as well. That said, however, large energy user demand has to be managed in a planned

surplus capacity. As I have said in multiple debates, we are not investing in getting the offshore wind we already have up and running, we are not investing in tidal energy, and we are not investing in solar energy or wave technology as countries such as Denmark

Draghi report highlighted that we have some of the longest permitting processes in Europe for onshore wind projects for example. The thing identified as a key bottleneck for renewable energy was the long and complex permitting process. I see in the infrastructure Bill that public bodies will

talent to do that - everything from retrofitting to green energy technicians and renewable energy engineers. I was in Munster Technological University, MTU, in Tralee recently and visited the centre where offshore wind turbine mechanics are being trained up on a new course there. We also have a centre

that there is a review in place or that a review has been completed, and we have to wait for the energy affordability task force, which was established about a year ago but still has not recommended any reforms. Unfortunately, people do not have the luxury of waiting … interview that the Government has been sitting on its hands and navel gazing about offshore wind. It has been way behind, and nothing has been done even in relation to the energy cloud. In the course of the debate, the Minister for State mentioned the disconnection moratorium

respect of the impact of AI on our future energy needs, in particular, because it uses up an enormous amount of energy. That work is under way between the Department of climate and the Department of enterprise. The two Departments are working on that aspect of it. There … sensible debate on that in the House as well. The development in Arklow, using offshore wind as well and connecting up with an offshore provider in respect of the energy issue, was interesting. In response to Deputy McGrath, compact growth is the key to sustainable. We both

South East Coastal Protection Alliance say there has been significant damage to the marine environment and marine biodiversity off Arklow from the wind farm off the Arklow bank. Now there has to be decommissioning after 20 years, another important factor. The turbines have to be decommissioned after … developers decide where they want, for profit reasons, to develop the offshore renewable energy which we absolutely need. I note that most of the rest of Europe does not put offshore wind at anything like the proximity being proposed on the east coast. They

Shannon, TUS. Shannon itself is home to the Shannon College of Hotel Management. Pharma, medtech, ICT, financial services, aviation, agrifood, and green energy sectors all have a natural home in the Shannon region. The Roche site in Clarecastle is a prime example of the region's industrial capacity … global life sciences and clean-tech investment directly into County Clare. With Ireland's offshore wind potential off the Atlantic coast, Shannon is ideally placed to be the industrial hub for new energy-intensive and net-zero industries. The national planning framework commits to regional balance in principle

able to pivot and change quite quickly. I used the example earlier that we have doubled wind capacity in under ten years. In 2015, there was 2 MW of solar energy in our system. By the end of this year, there will be 3 GW. What does that

last week, which are fully compliant with EU regulations. We need battery storage to deploy our energy at the right times. We need more renewables. We need onshore and offshore wind and onshore solar, or else we will continue importing gas from third countries

must be State-led. Unfortunately, this State has less investment in offshore wind in our own waters than the French state and the Norwegian state. There should be more public involvement to move towards energy affordability, because private companies are obviously going to have to make increased profits

grip on energy costs. Where is the cheaper energy that should have been provided? Where are the retrofits and heat pumps? The Government is way short of its own targets. Where is the offshore wind revolution? There will not be a blade wet for about ten years. Ireland

fossil fuel area. It is going to go big on solar, nuclear, wind and battery storage. There will be a mix for quite some time yet in the context of what energy we will use. I take Deputy O'Connor's point. What he is really referring … Some of the proposals that are coming our way might reflect that. We have not had a developer-led approach in respect of wind and offshore wind; it has been a planned approach. This is something we need to discuss with the Deputy again. Perhaps, however, the Minister

large energy user action plan. That will align energy demand with renewable supply and ensure we have grid stability that is protected. We are also very much focused on accelerating renewable delivery. We will see onshore wind, offshore wind and solar generation capacity rapidly increase, with a target

Government to play, a role for the regulator and one for the energy industry. Ultimately, our objectives should be very straightforward - keeping energy affordable, protecting households from the worst effects of international price shocks and reducing our exposure to those shocks over the longer term. That is particularly … together and to act quickly. We need to start investing significant funds in offshore wind farms. The ESB is one of the biggest investors off the coast of Scotland, supplying energy to hundreds of thousands of houses. Our people can do this. We need to engage with them

peat in our energy system. From June, there will be no coal in our energy system. We are accelerating the delivery of onshore renewables. We want to see more wind and solar onshore and substantially more renewables offshore. We will have a real opportunity in the years

Europe and in Ireland in respect of AI. There is also the relationship with energy use and AI, which is going to be very challenging, which means we will definitively need offshore wind from 2030 onwards to enable us to avail of the AI revolution. Okay, people will … respect of this. On Deputy McCormack’s point, because of their previous history Offaly and the midlands is well positioned to become an energy hub using Bord na Móna. I pay tribute to Bord na Móna. As a state company it has transformed very effectively from being

going in the absolute opposite direction. With one of the first energy bills it has brought forward after the Critical Infrastructure Bill has been passed, this Government has decided on one on gas - not on wind, accelerating solar or ensuring we have alternative or sustainable fuels but instead … want more gas. Is that the answer here? Is that what the Government's policy is here? I absolutely appreciate there is an energy security issue - 100% - but why would the first Bill we bring forward under climate or critical infrastructure not be on renewables rather than fossil

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I appreciate his response. I wonder about this new focus on nuclear energy. There has been a lot of commentary and priority questions in respect of it. I mentioned the newspaper headlines which state that the Cabinet is considering … strength needs to be in the delivery and advancement of renewable technologies, particularly offshore wind. That is our great strength. Others have strength, well-developed for decades, in the area of nuclear energy, and we will use some of that. I do not see a contradiction in that

berthing pontoons and two separate three-storey office and staff buildings for offshore renewable energy operators. This will allow the port to act in a supporting role for the construction of offshore wind farms, particularly through the storage of ancillary components for offshore wind, such as subsea cables … successfully procured 900 MW of ORE capacity to be delivered by ESB and Ørsted, marking a significant milestone in Ireland's offshore renewable energy ambitions. Subsequent auctions are due to take place in the coming years, providing a sufficient pipeline of projects for ports to service. This