The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has informed my Department that the following events occurred from 19 to 22 November at the former quarter scale test site location off the coast of Spiddal.
At approximately 13:45hrs on Thursday 19 November 2020 the Marine Institute were notified by phone call from a member of the public that the environmental monitoring buoy, located off the coast of Spiddal at the former quarter scale test site location, appeared to be damaged and was listing, suggesting that a chain may have been broken. The Marine Institute operations team mobilised and arrived in Spiddal at 15:00hrs confirming the situation visually from the shoreline.
Upon confirmation, the offshore operations team deployed the fast response boat from Galway Docks at 16:15hrs to undertake a close inspection of the buoy. Following that offshore inspection, it was confirmed that one of the mooring eyes on the buoy had failed, but that the buoy remained securely and safely anchored in place by the other mooring line. On a precautionary basis, it was decided to recover the buoy ashore at the earliest opportunity to repair the moorings. A suitable vessel was mobilised early on the morning of Sunday 22 November 2020. The buoy and mooring lines were safely recovered back to Galway Docks by 16:00hrs on Sunday 22 November 2020.
