Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 February 2014
163. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to generate renewable energy from the seas around Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7414/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI published the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP) on 7 February. The Plan, and the associated Strategic Environmental Assessment documentation, can be found on my Department's website.
The OREDP identifies the opportunity for Ireland of realising the potential of our offshore energy resources for increasing indigenous production of renewable energy, thereby contributing to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, improving the security of our energy supply and creating jobs in the green economy, especially in coastal communities where job creation faces particular challenges.
The OREDP will provide the mechanism through which action across government departments and agencies to support the development of offshore renewable electricity generation can be fully coordinated in areas such as environmental monitoring, research and development, consenting procedures, infrastructure requirements and enterprise development. In this way the OREDP will provide the framework for the sustainable development of our offshore energy resources.
My Department already supports ocean energy through the work of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in administering the Prototype Development Fund, developing the Atlantic Marine Energy Test Site (AMETS) off County Mayo, and through its contribution to funding for the Integrated Marine Energy Research Centre, a partnership between University College Cork, Cork Institute of Technology and the Irish Naval Service. In total my Department has allocated €26.3 million for ocean energy over the period 2013-2016. As announced in the OREDP, subject to further Government approval and European State Aid approval, I will also be introducing an initial market support scheme, limited to 30 MW, of €260 per megawatt hour for wave and tidal generation from 2016.
