Topical Issue Debate

Public Services Provision

Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy

I welcome the opportunity to raise this matter in the Dáil. I am a public representative since 1999, when I was first elected to Offaly County Council, and I also served on the Midlands Regional Authority. I am well aware of the kind of public consultations that would have been conducted in those authorities, such as when the county development plans, arts plans, heritage plans, tourism plans and so on were being drafted. I am also aware of the procedures put in place by the NRA for consultation when new motorways were being constructed in different parts of the county.

Since my election to the Dáil in 2011, I have seen a huge shift in the means by which people receive information. As a public representative, people are engaging with me much more on social media, on the Internet, via texting and so on. The time has come for Departments and State agencies to move with the times. This has come into sharp focus for me in the debate on the pylons issue and the wind energy export proposals which the Government is undertaking and on which EirGrid undertook a public consultation. The citizens of the areas involved were unhappy because they felt the consultation was not made public enough and the opportunities were not there for them to engage fully as citizens of this country on issues that are going to be of critical importance to them. Many of the people I have met in Offaly with concerns about the wind energy export proposal feel that they have not been consulted, and they refer consistently to the Aarhus Convention. Having said all of that, I know this is a reforming Government, with serious aims about how we do our business. Examples include the Oireachtas website, www.merrionstreet.ie and the policy on e-tenders, and these are excellent efforts to reach out to our citizens.

My proposal is for a website which would be dedicated solely to public consultations. It could be entitled www.consultation.ie and would be a one-stop shop for members of the public to navigate in order to find out about public consultations that are relevant to them. For example, people in Offaly could click on the Offaly link and go straight to specific consultations such as county development plans and public consultation on the wind energy export proposal. People could also engage in national consultations on issues such as end of life proposals or whatever. They would have an opportunity, if they so wished, to have their say easily.

I appreciate that Departments have links to these consultations on their websites, but one would need to know it is there to go looking for it. It would be a tremendous opportunity for the citizens of this country to be able to have their say. There would be great opportunities for Oireachtas committees as well. I am on the environment and justice committees, and we regularly put a call out to interested groups on the various issues we are dealing with. It would be a tremendous opportunity for them to have their say as well. I hope the Minister considers this seriously, because it would be a tremendous instrument in making our democracy more user friendly and the citizens would have their say.

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Brian Hayes)

I thank the Deputy for the constructive suggestion she set out in this topical issue. The Minister, Deputy Howlin, and all of us in the Government are committed to enhance public consultation. She is suggesting that we bring this all together in one website, making sure that people can consult with the Government in a variety of ways but through one particular avenue. The Minister has an open view on whether or not that would succeed.

Public consultations are a common, and extremely important, feature of public policy development. We want to ensure that as many stakeholders as possible are able to participate in consultations to allow us to take account of the widest possible range of views from citizens and businesses across Ireland. Indeed, in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, we are currently engaged in an extremely important consultation on strengthening Civil Service accountability and performance. Submissions in response to this consultation are due no later than 31 March 2014. All consultations now already have an online element, whether through e-mail or more sophisticated technology. The Oireachtas public petitions system, which allows for online submission of petitions to Parliament, is a good example of progress made in recent times.

The Public Service e-Government Strategy 2012-2015 includes a section on ensuring that e-Government is designed around real needs. The strategy notes that social networking and collaborative tools can help citizens and businesses to contribute and gain insights into the development and improvement of public service delivery. It also notes the requirement in the programme for Government for greater collaboration with citizens to ensure services are designed to meet their needs. The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, which co-ordinates and reports on progress in implementing the e-Government strategy, is working with Departments and offices to achieve this priority goal.

As part of this work, the OGCIO is considering international experience, with interesting examples of online consultations. These include Australia, based on links to agency websites where discussion or consultation papers are published, as well as the UK, where petitions are created online via a single website - the Deputy's proposal - and assigned to departments for consideration. We are looking at international best practice and will consider how we can improve the system in Ireland. However, whatever solution is found must respect the extremely valuable inputs we receive through the chosen format of the citizen or business, and these inputs must not be stifled through the introduction of rigid online facilities.

I think the Deputy's proposal is a useful idea which is in keeping with the Government agenda on e-Government. I understand the Minister has already asked the OGCIO to include this proposal in its research and planning activities with a view to production of a pilot site over the coming months. The House and the Deputy will be informed of progress we are making on the pilot.

Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy

I thank the Minister of State for his response. There is no question in my proposal to move entirely to an online system, but it should be a significant part of communicating with citizens, because that is one of the means through which they are communicating.

In a consideration of the proposal, the e-tenders website is an excellent model, and I am thinking of something along those lines. The proposal has the potential to be a real piece of reform in improving the relationship between the public and State bodies.

Public consultation is potentially one of the most effective ways to give meaning to terms such as "engaging", "listening" and "involving the public". We talk about doing these concepts; it is time we put them into practice.

Public consultation is a fair way for citizens to engage with Departments and State agencies. As such, it protects the political system from accusations that it serves particular groups or interests. Public representatives are servants of the citizen and the introduction of the mechanism I propose would enhance this role. I ask the Department to consider allowing citizens not only to obtain information via the website but also to lodge submissions online.

I thank the Minister of State for his complimentary remarks. My suggestion is made to enable the State to better engage with citizens. If we achieve this objective, it will be a job well done.

Deputy Brian Hayes

I thank the Deputy again for her constructive proposal, which I understand she has made on several previous occasions based on personal experience. We must reinvent the way in which consultation occurs to make it easier for citizens to become aware of what is being done in public policy across government. The pilot to which I referred has been organised by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and we are confident it will be up and running by the summer. The pilot will give rise to technical issues and an issue as to how much of the information citizens place online should be made available to other citizens.

The Deputy correctly noted the success of the e-Tenders web portal, which provides an online opportunity for small and large businesses, domestic and international, to pitch for public sector work. One of the first decisions taken by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, on taking office was to seek proposals on reform across the virtual system. Many of these proposals are being followed through.

While we are conscious that this area presents great opportunities, we must proceed on a step-by-step basis and in a way that ensures citizens who are consulting us and submitting views and proposals are certain that their views are being taken seriously and formatted in a manner in which they have confidence. I hope the pilot will give us a better sense of how to work through these issues when it is up and running in the summer.

Single Payment Scheme Eligibility

Deputy Michael McCarthy

The issue I raise is the position regarding the claw-back of single farm payments and the ongoing review of land parcels. Approximately 25,000 farmers face penalties ranging from €50 to more than €9,000 following the Department's review of 900,000 land parcels. This amount does not take into account the possibility that fines for some farmers will be multiplied by five if the Department moves to impose the penalties retrospectively. This is the critical issue.

More than 40,000 letters have been sent to farmers notifying them of irregularities. Many farmers will have penalties imposed on the basis of land which they were informed was an excellent habitat when they were in the rural environmental protection scheme. This is a source of serious concern to farmers in west Cork and many parts of west County Kerry. I discussed the issue a moment ago with Deputy Arthur Spring who noted that farmers in parts of County Kerry are experiencing similar difficulties to farmers in County Cork because the types of land in the two counties are not dissimilar.

I draw the attention of the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes, to the severity of the fines being imposed on farmers retrospectively. The fines are based on the eligibility of land for single farm payments. While it is one thing to be fined, it creates considerable difficulty when one is fined retrospectively. Many farmers were shocked to receive a letter and the retrospective nature of the penalties is causing great angst among them.

Most farmers understood they had passed the eligibility test for the years 2008 to 2010, inclusive, only to receive a letter in July this year stating they may have been overpaid for these years. More than 25,000 of them now face penalties of between €50 and €10,000. The Minister of State will be fully aware of the importance to the annual income of farmers of payments made under the single farm payments scheme, disadvantaged areas scheme and other direct payment schemes. The money these payments generates enables farmers to discharge debts to creameries and co-operatives. Local economies very much depend on these payments, especially those at the lower end of the scale. It is reasonable to assume that this money, once recycled in the rural and social economy, has a significant economic benefit. I have no reason to believe this does not also apply in the case of the Minister of State's constituents in parts of County Tipperary.

The problem I describe is particularly acute in upland areas. It should be noted that certain categories of land which are deemed eligible in one scheme are deemed ineligible when one moves to a different scheme. The red lining of land parcels which deems areas with any level of scrub and trees to be ineligible runs against the spirit of the REP scheme as it encourages farmers to eliminate such features. Contradictory approaches are being taken in two different schemes, with one encouraging farmers to be environmentally conscious and preserve these types of features, while a second effectively encourages farmers to tear them down.

Chief among the steps I encourage the Minister to take is to address the retrospective application of fines. This is causing serious difficulty in these straitened times. People are conscious of every euro they spend and cut their cloth to measure when doing their annual accounts. It causes considerable difficulty if they are suddenly landed with an unexpected bill. Many of the individuals concerned receive small payments in any event, which means money is more precious. An annual bill of €500 or €600 is a large sum for many people in the current economic climate.

Inspectors must take a common sense approach to the difficulties faced by farmers on marginal land. I will make a number of further points when the Minister of State has replied.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Tom Hayes)

I thank Deputy Michael McCarthy for raising this important issue. I welcome the opportunity to clarify this issue, which is of significant concern to many people. Deputies are fully aware of the background to this issue and the necessity for the Department to carry out a complete review of the eligibility of the land parcels declared by farmers to benefit from aid payments under the single farm payment scheme and other direct aid schemes.

In total, in excess of €1.5 billion is paid annually to Irish farmers using European Union funds. The European Commission has an obligation to ensure member states manage and use the EU funding granted to them in accordance with the very restrictive provisions governing the schemes and general financial provisions. Under the Common Agricultural Policy, this is done by way of a clearance of accounts procedure. This is a formal process and the Commission and member states are obliged to adhere to the requirements laid down in the legislation. In the case of Ireland, the clearance procedure currently covers five financial years, encompassing the years from 2008 to 2012, inclusive, in the scheme. In that regard, I give an assurance that every effort is being made to ensure that Ireland's case and the position of Irish farmers are strenuously defended during the process.

All farmers are fully aware that to draw down payment under the single farm payment scheme, it is necessary to declare an eligible hectare for each payment entitlement held. Farmers who submitted an application will have been fully aware of the need to exclude from the area claimed all ineligible features such as houses, roads, rivers and forests as well as areas of scrub, ineligible bogs, etc., when submitting the annual application. Each year, my Department forwards maps, terms and conditions and covering explanatory letters to all applicants. In all of the documentation forwarded it is made very clear to farmers that they should not claim on any ineligible land or features such as houses, buildings, farmyards, lakes, bogs or scrub, etc. Given the size of farms in Ireland, all applicants who are farming the lands they declare will be fully aware of the features on their lands.

The land parcel identification system review process initiated by the Department consists of a review of all eligible land parcels in the LPIS database which were declared by farmers under the 2013 single payment scheme, disadvantaged areas scheme and other direct payment schemes. The review covers in excess of 132,000 applicants and the land parcels declared by them as eligible for payment under one of more of the above mentioned schemes. This review is now almost complete and details will be given to the Commission. The Department is currently examining the applications for reviews-appeals submitted by farmers. If the outcome of an appeal is successful, the applicant is informed and the relevant adjustment is made to the payment. If unsuccessful, applicants are notified of their right to submit an appeal to the independent appeals committee. Where there is doubt in relation to the area deemed ineligible, such as scrub, which is a particular factor of land in west Cork, the Department arranges for the area to be clarified by a ground verification visit to the holding. I believe that is very important. More than 1,000 of these visits have taken place to date.

I would like to avail of this opportunity to clarify a few matters which will be of interest and benefit farmers who find themselves in this situation. The recent decisions taken by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine ensure protection of payments to farmers under the new CAP regime. In terms of eligible land, a decision was made to use 2013, or 2015 if lower, for the calculation of a number of new payment entitlements under the regime. This means that the number of entitlements allocated to farmers should correspond to the number of eligible hectares on the holding. In addition, the total value of the new entitlements allocated to farmers in 2015 will be based on the total number of entitlements, rather than payments, owned by farmers in 2014.

Deputy Michael McCarthy

I thank the Minister of State for his response. On the issue of inspections, there is an element of cautiousness in this regard. Farmers have enough to do nowadays to earn a living without drawing that type of bureaucracy on themselves. A significant element of the debate on the Common Agricultural Policy and decoupling was bureaucracy and red tape. One would need a secretarial assistant to do all the work involved. Inspectors making the visits will have to display some common sense and flexibility. Also, retrospection is a critical issue.

One of the hallmarks of this Administration has been its ability to restore Ireland's reputation internationally, including among the European institutions, not least the Commission. We have done well in several deals, not least the promissory notes deal and renegotiation of the EU-IMF deal. We need to use the muscle we flexed in our dealings with the Commission on those significant, and often thought insurmountable, issues to negotiate with it an ineligible land amnesty. We are dutiful citizens of the European Union. We perform very well in terms of our obligations and duties. We have brought Ireland back from the economic abyss. We have done that despite many of the predictions to the contrary. We need to make our case on an environmental or tourism basis. We can use the strong connection we have with the Commission to negotiate the aforementioned.

Deputy Tom Hayes

It should be remembered at all times that Ireland receives €1.5 billion in EU aid in respect of direct payments to farmers. Farmers have become dependent on these payments to supplement their income. I accept that, as stated by Deputy McCarthy, they rely on these payments to pay their bills, etc. No farmer should, as a result of the review, be experiencing extreme hardship. It is easy to generalise. I know from my dealings on this issue in the Department and in regard to individual cases that the Department is considerate of people's positions and their payment situations. If, having gone through the formal structures in terms of an appeal, a fine is imposed, the Department should deal with the situation in a caring manner, taking into account that people are now extremely dependent on single farm and REPS payments.

A new REP scheme is currently being drafted in the Department, of which we need to be mindful. As I said earlier, Ireland receives €1.5 billion in EU aid. For this reason, we must ensure that the scheme is properly administered. One of the reasons Ireland was so successful in terms of its negotiations with Europe was that Ireland was seen as one of the countries that ran its business right. Inspection is part of the process. I acknowledge that several complaints have been made to the Department about inspectors. The Minister and I are aware of the upset caused to people by inspections. However, that is not the role of the inspector. In fairness, most of them are mindful of the upset caused by their appearance at people's homes. As in the case of the bag of applies, not everyone is perfect. If there are cases of hardship, they will be taken on board.

I would like the message to go out that we are living in an age where transparency must be part of what all arms of government do. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is no different. We want to be helpful to people. While I hope that we will become more disciplined into the future in the manner in which we operate all of these projects and schemes, I hope we will also be mindful of people's concerns.

Road Projects

Deputy Jim Daly

I welcome the opportunity to raise this issue by way of Topical Issue debate. While the meaning of the word "topical" means "current" this matter has been, regrettably, ongoing since the 1990s and even prior to then. During the time of the boom and the so-called Celtic tiger when up to €13 billion was invested in road upgrade works throughout the country west Cork was, for some reason, left behind. I am raising this issue today to ensure focus of it on the agenda and to ensure it is addressed.

In 2008, I was chairman of the western committee of Cork County Council and led a delegation of my colleagues at the time to the National Roads Authority offices where we sought assurances from the NRA that it would prioritise the upgrade of the N71. However, the Ireland of 2008 was very different from the Ireland of today. Unfortunately, west Cork remains in the same position with little or no investment in the N71 project. The survival of west Cork into the future is dependent on investment. While job numbers in Cork are increasing, many of the jobs being created there are located in Cork city. To ensure a vibrant future for west Cork, business must be able to grow and create jobs. To ensure this, west Cork must be accessible. Unfortunately, the rail line in the area was closed many decades ago, access by sea was closed off following the closure of part of the Cork-Swansea route and airport numbers have been stagnant or reducing over the past ten years. The only access to west Cork is via the N71. It is the only road into and out of west Cork.

I want the Government to make the upgrade of the N71 a political priority so as to ensure the survival and future of west Cork. I expect that the Minister of State, Deputy Kelly, will in his response cite section 19 of the Roads Act and the changes thereto which transferred to the NRA the function of decision making in regard to road upgrade works.

Will the Minister of State clarify what role we have as elected representatives when it comes to ensuring what constitutes a priority for the National Roads Authority? I am aware of the standard answers I have been getting from the Minister heretofore in respect of what input we can have, but I am keen for some further clarity. As elected Members we decide what taxes are to be collected. Then we go out and stand over the unpopular decisions like property taxes and so on. I am keen for more accountability from the State agencies which are spending this money. We should have more of an input into the priorities afforded by these moneys.

Will the Minister of State clarify why, over the 2000 to 2009 period, the NRA spent €13 billion? This was the subject of a Private Members' motion in November 2009 moved by Deputy Fergus O'Dowd calling for more accountability from the NRA. During this period of vast investment, why was west Cork not on the radar of the authority? The last serious investment in west Cork began in 1998 when 1.1 km of single carriageway was built around the town of Skibbereen. Since then there has been absolutely zero investment other than for maintenance on the N71, but no effort whatsoever has been made to upgrade it. I call on the Minister of State to get clarity on why there was no investment in the N71 during that period.

Will the Minister of State give me an understanding and an undertaking that, at the least, the upgrade of the N71 in west Cork will be a political priority? Regrettably, previous Administrations chose, for whatever reason, not to have the upgrade of the N71 as a political priority. I could take great comfort if the Minister of State would give an assurance that it will become a political priority for this Administration.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (Deputy Alan Kelly)

I thank Deputy Daly for raising this Topical Issue matter, which I will be answering on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar. The Government's policy in respect of the funding of capital projects to 2016, including the development of road links, is set out in the Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016: Medium Term Exchequer Framework document. Due to the overall reduction in funding for transport infrastructure, the priority until 2016 is to protect investment made to date and to maintain safety standards. I imagine everyone appreciates that this should be a priority.

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, has overall responsibility for policy and funding in respect of the national roads programme. As the Deputy has correctly pointed out, the planning, design and implementation of individual road projects is a matter for the NRA under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Furthermore, within the NRA capital budget the assessment and prioritisation of individual national roads projects such as the N71 is a matter for the NRA in the first instance in accordance with section 19 of the Roads Act.

Given the heavily reduced budgets in transport, the priority now for Exchequer funds must be maintenance of the existing network, and this is of itself a struggle. Other than several public private partnership projects which are being progressed under the Government's July 2012 stimulus package, no major Exchequer-funded projects are scheduled to go to construction in the coming years. The NRA has a budget of €155.9 million for improvement and maintenance works on the national roads network in 2014. The reality is that the available funds do not match the amount of work required, and this is regrettable. For this reason it is not possible to progress a range of worthwhile projects. Overall, the NRA has allocated in excess of €12 million to Cork County Council in 2014 for various national road projects and works. These projects include €15,000 under the minor works programme for a pedestrian crossing on the N71 in Bandon and €450,000 for pavement and minor works on the N71 from the abbey to the square in Bantry. While this is the case for now, funding constraints mean that the development of routes such as the N71 has had to be deferred, although the improvement of national routes remains a longer-term objective of the Government.

As regards future funding under the next capital programme, the aim will be to develop a balanced package of measures covering infrastructure maintenance, safety schemes and targeted development projects throughout the transport sector for inclusion in the next capital programme. Of course the actual composition of such a package will depend on the level of funding available. Deputy Daly has asked several questions in this regard and I will bring all those questions to the Department and the NRA.

I know the N71 well, as the Deputy is aware, and I have had to traverse it many times. I take on board the Deputy's points in respect of Cork, funding by the NRA throughout the previous decade and the level of funding that went to Cork vis-à-vis other place by comparison. They are fair points and I will reflect them to the Department and the NRA. If Deputy Daly does not get an answer from the NRA within a couple of weeks, he should come back to me because I will be putting the question to them on Deputy Daly's behalf, as requested.

Deputy Daly suggested the matter should be a political priority but it is a matter for the Minister, Deputy Varadkar. However, I will ensure the Minister gets to know Deputy Daly's concerns on the issue. Responsibility for this issue lies with the NRA and the prioritising of projects lies with the NRA as well. Having said that, the NRA is responsible to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and has to take on board the Department's and the Minister's thinking. Therefore, I encourage Deputy Daly to continue his campaign for the N71. It is not the first time he has raised the matter. I congratulate Deputy Daly on continually raising it because it is a road that needs work.

Deputy Jim Daly

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House and taking the issue. He has shown a good and clear understanding of the issue. I appreciate that he knows the road and that he understands the frustrations of those of us in the area. It is a single carriageway route into the heart of west Cork. We are reliant on visitors and tourists. We are also reliant on investment, like every other area.

It is frustrating when I tell the people that in the times of plenty there was no development of the road and no progress made. The year 1998 was the last time there was progress when 1.1 km of carriageway was upgraded, but since then there has been absolutely no investment. It is not right or proper that I, as a public representative with a mandate from the people, should go back to the people I have the honour of representing and put it to them that, unfortunately, it is the NRA which decides where the money goes and that it is at the mercy of the authority whether the people of west Cork get a decent road. I am their public representative and, as I said in my original contribution, I am the person who has gone out and supported all the measures, many of them unpopular, to raise and increase taxes to get our finances right. I appreciate that our finances are still in a perilous state and that although we are out of the grasp of the troika, we still do not have autonomy over what we can do. However, as we start to move to the area where capital budgets will improve and increase, I am keen to get an assurance from the Department, the Minister and the NRA that the N71 will become a priority and that the wrongs of the past two decades under successive Governments can be righted. I am keen for the people of west Cork to be given an assurance that as moneys come to play and to hand, the N71 will be a priority for an upgrade to ensure the survival of west Cork.

There are competing needs on the road. Cyclists lead the charge some days and are followed by cars, buses or lorries. There can be tractors as well and all these vehicles on the single carriageway can hold up the entire area. It is most frustrating and it is time we ensured there were improvements. I appreciate that the Minister of State will take on board my concerns. I will continue to liaise with the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, as well. I appreciate the Minister of State taking the matter to the Department and the NRA on my behalf and I will be grateful for any answers I get.

Deputy Alan Kelly

The Deputy has raised this issue on several occasions and he has been right to do so. I know the road well. I am familiar with some parts of the Deputy's constituency. As Deputy Daly knows only too well, I often visit Gorteen in Bantry. The NRA has responsibility. However, I take on board the Deputy's well-made point on the prioritisation of projects and the role of the NRA vis-à-vis the Department. Deputy Daly's point is absolutely right in respect of the changes that have had to be made from a taxation point of view. Taxpayers get frustrated, something I know only too well in respect of Tipperary. I will raise the issue with the NRA. However, in the short term, as Deputy Daly is aware, there will be no solution. However, there will be a capital programme in the years to come. Who knows what the position of road projects will be and, if there are to be roads projects, how they will be prioritised. I will refer all these matters to the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, who has responsibility for the roads programme.

Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan Implementation

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

I thank the Acting Chairman and the Minister for giving me the opportunity to speak on the offshore renewable energy development plan. The Minister will be aware that there is profound concern from all residents around Dublin Bay at the proposed Dublin Array.

Unfortunately, many people who are interested in this area such as the Coastal Concern Alliance, believe the plan is an attempt at retrospective planning. It is an attempt to shut the stable door when the horse has bolted. By the end of 2006, some 1620 MW of wind generation had been approved off County Wicklow by the former Ministers, Frank Fahey and Noel Dempsey. In 2008, the former Minister, Eamon Ryan, came forward with significant price supports for wind. There was a huge rush of applications and astonishingly 99 leases for the Arklow and Codling Bank wind turbine fields were sold on by Airtricity, Treasury Holdings and Fred Olsen.

I have carefully gone through this document and while it is welcome, it is also disappointing. Why did the Minister not consider it prudent to consult the public again about some of the aspirations and comments in this document about wind energy generally, as well as the location of wind farms in Dublin Bay and elsewhere offshore? It is a grossly deficient document in that there is no cost-benefit analysis of wind or other alternative renewable energy sources. Therefore the economics of wind energy are discussed practically nowhere in this document which, in many respects, is deficient.

I am seeking a full Dáil debate on the document and on this project. It is deplorable that two Departments are dealing with this matter. Planning aspects are being handled by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, while energy aspects are being dealt with by Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. With two chefs, however, one often ends up getting a dog's dinner. That is what is happening in this regard.

I have strongly opposed the Dublin Array proposal due to the imposition of 145 turbines, some of which would be up to 160 m high, just five to ten kilometres off the south Dublin Bay coastline. It would be a grotesque intrusion on the environmental landscape. I have not seen anything in the proposed legislation about impacts on the landscape. In my own lengthy submission on the Dublin Array proposal I made the case that Dublin's quality of life and tourism would be greatly diminished if we end up looking out at a major industrial landscape across the bay.

Allied to this is the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan, OREDP, which cannot be discussed in isolation from the current legislative framework. We have been operating under the 1933 legislation for the past 80 years. When I was the Labour Party's energy spokesperson I called for legislation in this area, as the current Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, did also. Finally, after three years of this Government, we have the general scheme of the Bill.

The involvement of An Bord Pleanála and oral hearings as part of the planning process are to welcomed compared to what I feel were the disgraceful granting of consents in the past. It is still deplorable, however, that this legislation has not been passed. It is one of many things that should have been passed by this House a long time ago.

There is grave concern about this document and therefore we should have a full-scale Dail debate to tease it out. We could also address the kind of issues that will emerge not just on the east coast but also the west coast. We must examine the future role that wind energy can play in this country's energy sector.

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Pat Rabbitte)

I thank Deputy Broughan for raising this matter. As the House will be aware, Ireland has a landmass of around 90,000 sq. km but it also has a sea area of around ten times that size with one of the best offshore renewable energy resources in the world. The development of this offshore renewable energy resource is central to overall energy policy in Ireland. It can enable the generation of carbon free renewable electricity, enhance security of supply, and deliver green growth and jobs to the economy. Its development clearly stands on its own merits.

Cost-effective harnessing of the potential for clean, sustainable, indigenous renewable energy resources, including those offshore, that Ireland is fortunate to have in abundance, is crucial to reducing our dependence on expensive fossil fuel imports, reducing harmful emissions and delivering jobs and growth in the green economy. That is why I have identified the completion and implementation of the Offshore Renewable Energy Plan as a key priority for my Department, in order to provide a clear and sustainable framework for the development of the offshore renewable energy sector.

The recent communication from the EU Commission on the 2030 Policy Framework for Climate and Energy recognises that renewable energy has a critical contribution to make in the period to 2030. The proposal forms the basis for a timely policy debate on the next critical milestone for the EU on its transition to a competitive, low-carbon European economy in 2050. The framework as a whole will require careful consideration and our central focus must be on reaching an outcome for all that is sustainable on both environmental and economic grounds.

However, I have no doubt that the increasing role renewables will play in an integrated energy market to 2030 and beyond will present significant economic and development opportunities for Ireland's offshore wind, wave and tidal resources. These include the potential to export energy with the possibility in the future of participation in the European energy market.

The long-term economic promise of Ireland's wave and tidal resources will also be realised with the introduction of ocean energy into the renewables portfolio over time, resulting in the development of an indigenous ocean sector and the maximisation of the wider economic benefits to be gained from the commercialisation and deployment of these technologies. The objectives and actions set out in the OREDP are fully aligned with EU energy policy and the challenges faced by our EU partners in creating a sustainable EU internal market for energy and achieving the transition to a low carbon energy system. This is clearly demonstrated by the Communication on Blue Energy published recently by the European Commission, which identifies the Atlantic seaboard as the area of greatest resource in the EU and the potential for the sector to create 40,000 jobs by 2035.

It is with the goal of realising the economic potential of the offshore renewable energy sector, in a way that is environmentally sustainable and takes into account the needs of other users of the marine environment, that I have published the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan. The plan has been informed by a rigorous process including the carrying out of a strategic environmental assessment, followed by an appropriate assessment under the EU Habitats Directive. It involved my own Department, as well as other Departments, and State agencies such as the National Parks and Wildlife Service, in addition to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Marine Institute and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.

The OREDP provides a clear and sustainable framework for the development of the offshore renewable energy sector and it is critical to now move ahead with its implementation.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

Will the Minister ensure that this House will get an opportunity to discuss this plan? The Coastal Concern Alliance said the plan should be based on a democratically agreed marine policy which maps out a future scenario for our seas, while serving the public interest. Is that not the key point? We must serve the public interest and not have developer-led projects which enrich certain oligarchs. That will not achieve energy security and low energy costs for this country.

Will the Minister respond to the point I made about two Departments being involved? Does this not have the potential to be a disaster? Where the Department of Justice and Equality, and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport are in charge of road traffic administration and offences, the end result is deplorable and messy. It has led to all kinds of anomalies. It would therefore be better if one Department, perhaps the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, took full control of this matter, including all the planning aspects.

Would the Minister consider going back to the drawing board with this document and ask his officials to produce a cost-benefit analysis? For example, the UK has established an amount of wind energy from 45 wind farms that would fuel this country completely. It has been estimated in the UK that it costs between €100,000 and €1.3 million per job, but not too many jobs are required when the wind farm is up and running. Siemens and a number of Danish companies are the main beneficiaries of the capital investment. Will we get a proper cost-benefit analysis of the wind sector and the likely cost structure of other renewables?

The Minister announced the provision of a number of Exchequer supports in his initial press statement. While it is valuable to research the potential of wave power, a key issue in this regard would relate to how close to the coast the relevant facilities would be located. Most people are of the view that the wind facilities would not be even remotely economically viable unless they were located on the sandbanks just off the coast of County Dublin. If the latter were to happen, there would be serious degradation and damage done to the environment of Dublin. The cost benefit of all of this must be estimated, particularly in the context of our tourism industry and the fact that citizens who live in the Dublin Bay North constituency and elsewhere in the city and county are currently in a position to visit the seaside. Will the Minister address these issues and ensure that we will have a debate of three or four hours' duration on this topic in the next couple of months?

Deputy Pat Rabbitte

I would welcome a debate on this matter. Many colleagues in the House regard it as somewhat arcane and that should not be the approach to our marine wealth or to the possibilities offered by offshore wind, wave and tidal energy for the future. The report may have taken longer to be published than one would have liked. It is, however, inconsistent to state that publication of the report is belated, particularly when I was previously asked to put the matter out for public consultation again before publication.

I previously indicated that I intend to introduce an initial market support scheme from 2016 and that this will be funded from the public service obligation levy to the tune of €260 per megawatt hour and strictly limited to 30 MW for ocean wave and tidal energy that does not impose any significant material additional cost on the energy consumer. Work is ongoing in the context of estimating the cost of wind energy. In the EU communication paper that was published a couple of weeks ago, it is stated that the estimated marginal cost will range between €1 and €16. In the case of Ireland it will be €1 - the EU went out of its way to highlight this - while in the case of Germany it will be €16. I think I am correct in stating the latter but the Deputy should not hold me to it. There is further work to be done on the economics involved and Deputy Broughan is correct in stating that we should clarify the position.

I am not referring to the Deputy when I say this but all kinds of people say they favour decarbonising the energy system and developing renewable sources of energy. However, they do not want these sources to be the ones under discussion or those located near their homes. It is a case of them asking why we should have onshore wind energy when we can have offshore wind energy and why do we need offshore wind energy when we could be utilising biomass or solar energy. One is always a step away from committing those who claim to see the merit of exploiting renewable and indigenously occurring resources to stating that they do not want them in their backyard.

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 26 Feb 2014