Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 February 2013
91. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will introduce a national wind energy strategy that deals with all issues concerning wind turbines and wind energy, including planning, public consultation, taxation and energy supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10413/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe policy of promoting renewable energy in Ireland has been in existence since the mid-1990s, when the alternative energy requirement schemes were introduced. High dependence on imported fossil fuels and the imperative to respond to the challenges of climate change have underpinned the switch to renewable energy. The policy has been reinforced at EU level, most recently with the decision to pursue a separate directive on renewable energy with a legally binding target at member state level. The target assigned to Ireland under the 2009 directive was that 16% of all energy consumption must be from renewable resources by 2020, with a minimum of 10% in the transport sector. The directive required each member state to complete a national renewable energy action plan, NREAP, setting out how the target would be achieved across the heat, electricity and transport sectors. Ireland indicated it would do this with 40% renewable electricity, 10% renewable transport and 12% renewable heat. The action plan also required member states to provide a technological breakdown. Ireland indicated in this that the bulk of its renewable electricity would be delivered by wind. This was underpinned by the Commission for Energy Regulation's Gate 3 direction of December 2008, which provided for sufficient grid connections to a specified list of projects, most of which were wind energy projects, for 40% renewable electricity to be achieved by 2020. The Grid 25 strategy and implementation plans undertaken by EirGrid underpin the Gate 3 roll-out. The Strategy for Renewable Energy 2012-2020, which I published last year, again highlighted the key role wind would play in Ireland’s renewable energy policy.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
At a national level, the NREAP, the Strategy for Renewable Energy 2012-2020, the Gate 3 grid connection direction issued by the CER and EirGrid’s Grid 25 implementation plans underpin the envisaged development of wind energy. At a local authority level, authorities are required to have regard to the wind energy planning guidelines produced by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government when compiling their development plans. Many local authorities produce wind energy strategies as part of this process. The planning process in Ireland provides extensive opportunity for public involvement, including a third party appeals process.
The Government Policy Statement on the Strategic Importance of Transmission and other Energy Infrastructure, which I published last July, recognises the need for and urgency of new energy infrastructure. It notes that the planning process provides the necessary framework for ensuring that all necessary standards are met and that consultation is built into the process. It also acknowledges the need for social acceptance and for energy project developers to examine appropriate means of building community gain considerations into project planning and budgeting.
In order to ensure that Ireland continues to meet its renewable energy targets while at the same time ensuring that wind energy does not have negative impacts on local communities, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, in conjunction with my Department and other stakeholders, is undertaking a targeted review of certain aspects of the 2006 wind energy guidelines. This focused review is examining the manner in which the guidelines address key issues of community concern, such as noise proximity and shadow flicker. An initial consultation on the revision of the guidelines has been undertaken in recent weeks and all submissions will be considered prior to the publication of a proposed revision.
While the Minister did not get to finish all of his reply, I would have been happier if he had just acknowledged that this country does not have a strategy for renewable energy. What he has described is an action plan with targets, but that is not a strategy. We urgently need a strategy and, from that, to develop a set of policies in the whole area of renewable energy, whether it is wind energy, hydroelectricity, or wave, tidal or biomass energy. We need to look at getting community buy-in to the proposals for renewable energy and also consider the economic benefit to the country from such energy. Crucially, we need to look at the potential for job creation in terms of renewable energy-----
Will the Deputy frame a question, please?
Will the Minister consider setting up an expert group to consider this issue, and particularly whether we should be encouraging the building of turbines in this country? Must we always respond to the diktats of those coming in to set up these industries? Should we not take the initiative, and would that not form part of a strategy? Can we have a strategy and a resulting set of policies rather than a statement of intent with target dates?
The last thing I want to do is to increase Deputy Colreavy's level of unhappiness, but I have to say to him that what I have just put on the record of the House is that we do indeed have a very refined strategy in this area, and I refer him back to the Strategy for Renewable Energy 2012-2020, which I published last year. I suggest that Deputy Colreavy cannot take up the position he did when he argued that we cannot let turbines in here or let people come in to provide jobs in that fashion.
If we applied that to foreign direct investment generally, we would be 120,000 jobs worse off and a great deal of wealth generated and the development of a professional managerial core would be lost to the country. Deputy Colreavy should go back and read the strategy and accept that what I am seeking to do is to exploit the fact that we have a valuable indigenous resource that is renewable. That resource can be exploited to create jobs and wealth in this jurisdiction.
There is nothing unusual about a process of development that creates a product or service for export. That is as old as trade itself. In the past, we have not been able to export energy for a variety of reasons but this is now feasible technically. I agree with Deputy Colreavy that one must be careful and sensitive as to how one goes about that. I hope that will be possible.
I have read the strategy but I see nothing in it that gives me any comfort that the issue of maximising employment potential, income to this State, the potential return of the investment and energy security in the State has been addressed. Of course, there is nothing wrong with exporting energy provided the benefits are accruing to this State. I see nothing relating to that in this strategy. This area needs to be considered urgently.
I do not see how banning turbines would enable jobs to be created here.
I have not asked for that.
The purpose behind what we are doing is using a resource that has not heretofore been exploited in order to create employment, generate earnings for the State and, in the process, diminish our imports in terms of fossil fuels. There is very careful strategic consideration behind what we are doing. It provides the opportunity for a new export sector in Ireland. The scale of it remains to be seen but Deputy Colreavy knows that a number of developers of scale are interested in the agreement I recently signed with my counterpart in London. The signing was in Dublin but I meant my counterpart in the British Government. There are a number of developers of scale who are interested in making that agreement work and, in the process, creating employment here.
