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this motion, the Labour Party is calling for a levy on energy used by data centres and a moratorium on the introduction of new data centres until bills come down. We need to see offshore wind generation operating and capable of supporting that growth. We need that renewables

policies in relation to renewable energy development, in particular the inclusion of regional, renewable electricity capacity allocations. This is in order to facility the accelerated roll-out and delivery of renewable electricity infrastructure for onshore wind and solar generation development. In addition to the related necessary grid development … play a key role in mitigating against climate change through the reduction of carbon emissions in sectors such as electricity, planning for renewable energy generating development and transport through the continued integration of land use and transport planning to support reduced commuting patterns and promotion of public transport

Finance, Deputy Simon Harris, last night, he once again turned his back on this common-sense solution. This Government seems determined to let energy companies away with it and to let them cash in while workers, families and pensioners pay the price. The cost of extracting gas from … that we maintain a pricing system where the price of electricity generated from wind and solar is driven up by the price of gas. When gas prices rise, consumers pay more for all electricity. Energy companies are making a killing while households are getting absolutely hammered. Even yesterday

they have invested in. If you fly into places in Spain, you see all the wind farms which mean they have cheaper electricity bills and are not as impacted by the energy crisis now as other European countries. If you fly into Dublin Airport, what

farms. To be clear, neither I nor anyone I know in Carlow is against renewable energy regeneration, nor are we against our neighbours and friends who make a living from having wind or solar farms on their lands. In the area surrounding Rathoe village, though, there will potentially

fundamental. It is never in question. Deputy O'Gorman stated that our digital economy was now well supported by that 21% of energy it was using. I am assuming by him saying this that he supports this happening or would he reverse that? Our job is to ensure … interest in the next auction this year. There will be significant participation in onshore wind and onshore solar. Look at what we have been able to do on solar - in 2018, 0.6% of energy was generated through solar in this country. Now, on a good

what could potentially happen if relations with the US continue to become as volatile as they have been. When Russia invaded Ukraine, the energy security analysis was updated to reflect that and it needs to happen again. It also needs to be honest about what is possible … that understands what real energy security looks like. What it does not look like is shipping in LNG from across the world at enormous cost. It looks like building up infrastructure that we control here at home. It looks like investing in wind, storage and grid resilience

high prices we are seeing at the garage forecourts. The Minister does not even have to take our word for it. The International Energy Authority has explicitly said that people should be encouraged to work from home so that the cost of commuting is mitigated. This … renewable potential off our coasts that is almost entirely untapped. We have literally one offshore wind farm, in Arklow, built more than two decades ago, and it is no longer generating any energy. I have serious questions about our target of 5 GW of offshore generation

Deputy knows. However, the advancement of renewables is critical to our energy security and to reaching our climate targets. The Deputy has rightly stated that any application that goes in for a wind farm, a solar farm or a biomethane plant is dealt with independently of the Government … honest with people too, as the Deputy is being, that solar will continue to expand and is a very good source of clean energy for our country. It will reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuel as well and will ensure that we become energy-sovereign

expedite delivery in that area. We talk about energy bills and the cost of energy. The reality is an overreliance on gas. We have the opportunity to overcome that through onshore wind, offshore wind, solar and battery storage, but it also needs investment in our grid

deepens, and the profits of big energy companies are also rising. We are watching the impacts of climate change in the world around us and the Government is not doing enough to address it. In April, we learned that 30 wind turbines off the coast of Galway will … challenging market conditions in the offshore wind sector as a reason not to proceed. Who is to say that other projects such as this will not collapse? What is the Government doing about it? LNG is not a cost-effective energy source, apart from the environmental damage involved

That is the bottom line here. Ireland's energy security is hanging by a thread. We cannot keep relying on imported diesel in global markets we have no control over. The Government's promise in 2022 was more offshore wind farms but the only one we have … first of these offshore wind generating plants be developed in Ireland? I am bringing forward a proposal for Ireland's first zero emission freight corridor pilot scheme from Cork Port to west Cork, not alone as a climate measure but as a real energy security solution. We have

wind and solar. Does the Taoiseach know that there are turbines turned off in wind farms across this country because the electricity grid is not there? Does he know that offshore renewable energy policy is just not there? There is no strategy there. It is not happening. That

There is a clear way out of this which is the delivery of Irish energy independence, not as one Government Minister says by sitting on their hands and navel gazing about offshore wind but delivering

risks to Ireland from climate change. These range from disruption to Ireland’s energy system, as we saw recently with Storm Éowyn, to damage to Ireland’s built environment from extreme wind and weather events. Will the Taoiseach clarify if the Cabinet committee on climate action will address

when the comparable figure was 7% of our energy being generated by renewables compared with 40% last year. By 2025, Ireland has 6.5 GW of grid scale renewable electricity generation capacity, which comprises 5 GW of wind and 1.5 GW of solar. This is 13 times … solar and wind electricity infrastructure that Ireland had in 2005. We are delivering new interconnectors. The Greenlink interconnector to Britain is now operational. That doubles Ireland's interconnector capacity. The Celtic interconnector to France is on track to be completed by 2026-27. The North-South project, which

Taoiseach again. New figures from EirGrid show that more than 13% of available wind and solar electricity could not be used in the first nine months of this year. That is enough energy to power almost 500,000 homes. It is concerning that we are losing vast amounts

Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will acknowledge that the High Court has now ruled in multiple cases that wind turbine noise can constitute a nuisance, even where developments are compliant with planning conditions; and his plans to ensure

accountable. As climate activists have said for decades, strengthening our energy security is the only way to address the source of the price issues. Yet, under this Government there are, as Deputy Whitmore said, zero offshore wind farms operational today. There is a huge, missed opportunity in solar … reliance of this State on imported fossil fuels from an LNG terminal. The Government must act now and introduce the Social Democrats' energy credit for 800,000 households most in need, implement the emergency payment for disabled people, tackle price gouging and, crucially, chart a new path

Government threw €3 billion at scattergun universal energy credits last time, all because an election was on the horizon. Three years from the next one, people who are worried sick about their bills can swing in the wind as far as the Government is concerned. I note … been said about extending the fuel allowance season by four weeks and the needs to happen. Where is the report of the energy affordability task force? We were supposed to have that last autumn, and it has been suppressed, as I understand it, because it says that

still dependent on fossil fuels and currently being pilloried by their bills? Do we want to help them transition to cleaner renewable energy or do we want to help the tech giants? We have serious questions about the environmental biodiversity impacts these projects will have on lands that … need to consider our industrial strategy and so on, but the wind only seems to be blowing one direction, pardon the pun. Virtually everything we have seen from this Government so far with regard to renewable energy and energy more broadly seems to be to the overwhelming benefit

over Europe. That is why some of the renewable energy directives, REDs, were brought in at European level to make sure the overall good is prioritised, as with offshore wind farms. These will benefit climate but because of some aspects related to nature they can be delayed interminably

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the position regarding any further initiatives proposed by his Department to increase the support for offshore wind infrastructure in coastal communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13792/26

should be a workable arrangement for renters. There needs to be proper discussion of battery storage in the House. Before recess, I invited Energy Storage Ireland to speak in the audiovisual room. We had a great discussion on the potential of batteries to act as storage systems … dispatch down that we see constantly. That needs to be addressed. A panel can generate electricity when the sun shines and a wind turbine when the wind blows but a battery can help a household to use that electricity when it is needed. If used smartly batteries

being absolutely devastated by the record global temperatures. We need to have energy self-sufficiency, which will have to be renewable, but also interchangeable across the grid between the French nuclear, the Irish wind and wave, and the solar, especially coming from the Mediterranean states. We have … global card. On security, we again have a constructive role to play in strengthening EU co-operation on all sorts of security - energy security, which relates to the conflict in Ukraine; and cybersecurity, because again there are many malicious elements out there trying to attack European member states