Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
179. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the work of the cross-Departmental Offshore Renewable Energy Team; the members of this team; the dates on which the team has met to date in 2022; if he will list the topics that the team is currently examining; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41806/22]
View answerThe work of the Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce is framed by the goal of deploying at least 5GW of offshore wind energy by 2030, as part of the Government’s objective of up to 80% of Ireland's electricity being met from renewable sources by 2030. The goal of the Taskforce is to accelerate and drive delivery by public bodies of offshore wind. To achieve this, the Taskforce will develop a system wide programme plan and is working to identify all aspects of work on the critical path, including gaps, risks and opportunities. One of the key objectives of the Taskforce is to ensure that potential economic and societal opportunities associated with the development of the sector are captured. The Taskforce is chaired by my Department and its membership comprises senior officials from Government Departments and agencies with offshore wind related actions under the Climate Action Plan. The member organisations are:
- Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage;
- Department of Transport;
- Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment;
- Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science;
- Department of Public Expenditure and Reform;
- Department of Rural and Community Development,
- Enterprise Ireland;
- Commission for Regulation of Utilities; and
- EirGrid. The Taskforce has met three times since its establishment, on 28 April, 5 May and 18 July, with the fourth meeting expected to be scheduled for early September. The second National Climate Stakeholder Forum, a central pillar of our National Dialogue on Climate Action, will be held on July 27th and will take the form of a one-day workshop comprising a series of parallel breakout sessions focusing on the six Delivery Taskforces, including Offshore Wind. The Taskforce will commence engagement with external stakeholders, as appropriate in September.
