I thank the Deputy for his question. The Government's new updated national digital and AI strategy was published last week. It sets out the Government's ambition and vision to 2030 to ensure Ireland remains a digital leader in an increasingly competitive global environment. It aims to secure Ireland as a global hub for applied AI innovation, strengthening our profile as a location for investment. It will ensure our economy reaps the benefit of digital and AI for growth and competitiveness, enhance our public services and empower our people to thrive in a digital society. In accelerating our digital and AI ambitions, it is important to acknowledge the significant energy and infrastructure challenges Ireland faces. To address these challenges and to maximise future opportunities associated with the twin digital and green transitions, the Government is pursuing a strategic medium-term approach for large energy users, as set out in the large energy users action plan published last month. In response to the question the Deputy asked, there is no single stand-alone Department report quantifying the climate impact of AI. As with all sectors of our economy, the operation and development of digital infrastructure, including AI, are underpinned by Ireland's legally binding climate objectives and the need to maintain robust energy security. The Government continues to work to secure a decarbonised energy future that unlocks enhanced use of renewable energy sources, energy-efficient technology and energy-effective solutions to reduce our carbon footprint. Key pillars of the large energy users action plan will be the provision of a framework for the establishment of green energy parks in which to co-locate the most energy-intensive industry with the supply of renewables and other enabling technology and the establishment of a framework for near real-time greenhouse gas emissions reporting by large energy users.
Sentiment score: 0.53
I do not agree with the Deputy's assessment on where we are in regard to ensuring that we meet our climate commitments, which are enshrined in law. They are very much part of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act. They set binding carbon budgets and sectoral ceilings. That means no sector is left off the hook, and that includes AI and digital infrastructure. Neither of these can expand without regard to emissions footprints. The Department has developed a threefold policy response to this. The planning regulation specifies that all large energy users must comply with the CRU's guidelines and environmental licensing regime. When we look at the integration with renewables, the new large energy action plan promotes green energy parks where AI, data and research infrastructure directly connect to renewable supply. That is very important because each of these data centres or AI data storage systems will be required to meet at least 80% of their annual demand with new or additional renewable energy generation. That is driving down their emissions footprint.
Sentiment score: 0.12
Let me be clear, as will the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. The Government has very clear objectives. It has twin objectives around decarbonisation, but also around digitalisation. That is very much what we are focused on. We have the policy regimes to back this up. We are looking to harness Ireland as an AI innovation hub. That presents huge opportunities for economic growth. Along with that, we are providing significant investment into our energy systems. Some €3.5 billion in equity will go into EirGrid and ESB Networks and that will enable the modernisation of our grid, which is capable of balancing the new demand while safeguarding housing, enterprise, SMEs and essential services. The combination of regulation on transparency and renewable integration will ensure that AI-related growth does not undermine the overall energy transitions we are trying to achieve.
Sentiment score: 0.41
Addressing energy affordability for businesses is a priority for this Government. We are committed to supporting businesses to become more energy-efficient, thereby strengthening competitiveness through reduced energy costs. In budget 2026, the Government extended the accelerated capital allowance scheme for energy-efficient equipment until 31 December 2030. It also approved the extension of the 9% VAT rate currently applied to gas and electricity to December 2030. This encourages investment in energy efficiency and low-emission technology. The Department also funds schemes administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, which provide various supports to enterprises that can assist businesses in increasing their energy efficiency. The 2026 allocation for these schemes amounts to more than €40 million. The Government has also introduced measures to reduce energy costs and unlock greater decarbonisation of Irish industry and enterprise over the medium term. For example, under the national development plan the Government has approved a significant equity investment, valued at €3.5 billion, in ESB Networks and EirGrid to support the financing of their ambitious capital investment plans of over €18.9 billion in the coming five years. The increased deployment of indigenous renewables, such as onshore and offshore wind and solar generation, will help to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and the associated price volatility. We are also supporting further interconnection with neighbouring jurisdictions, including the 700 MW Celtic interconnector between east Cork and France. In June of last year, the Department established the national energy affordability task force to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses while delivering key renewables commitments and protecting security of supply and economic stability. The task force seeks to support the objectives of the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, as well as other Government efforts and initiatives to alleviate the energy-related challenges businesses face, including through engagement with the cost of business advisory forum.
Sentiment score: 0.55
I again thank the Deputy for raising these important matters. I am someone who has a dual role within the Department of enterprise, with responsibility for small businesses. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, has engaged with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities to undertake an independent review into the speed and level of wholesale to retail price pass-through. That is really important because we need to ensure that there is transparency and fairness, but also that there is fair competition in pricing. We have had inherent structural challenges in Ireland such as our reliance on imported gas, our dispersed population and in other areas. It is important that through the national energy affordability task force we conduct a review on the cost drivers across the energy system, from infrastructure investment to market behaviour. That would feed directly into the energy affordability action plan because price volatility has never been as apparent, especially given the current geopolitical state. It is important that the Government identifies the structural barriers, but also that we bring forward measures around affordability for enterprises and SMEs and that they become a permanent feature of the Irish energy system.
Sentiment score: 0.38
I thank the Deputy for his remarks. I certainly hear that. During the engagements at the cost of doing business advisory forum. That is very much looking at the structural needs within the energy system, but also how businesses analyse and interpret their bills. We are looking to get more details in regard to how bills are calculated. I will point to empowering businesses to control the controllables. That is exactly why we have a suite of measures through the SEAI. They are readily accessible, be it the business energy upgrade scheme. We also have the support scheme for energy audits. That can give businesses up to €2,000 per site visit. We have other programmes, such as the EXEED programme, which funds on capital investment. Together, working with the local enterprise offices, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and the cost of doing business advisory forum, we are very much committed to finding practical solutions and co-developing them to support our enterprise and small businesses.
Sentiment score: 0.21
I thank the Deputy for his question. Onshore wind is the largest contributor to renewable energy generation capacity in Ireland, with approximately 5.1 GW of wind generation capacity installed. The Government is committed to achieving 9 GW of installed onshore wind capacity. Onshore wind remains Ireland’s dominant source of renewable electricity and is second only to natural gas for overall electricity generation. In fact, we are among the world leaders for installed onshore wind capacity per capita and get a greater share of our electricity from onshore wind than anyone else across Europe. The Department recently launched a consultation on design features for the next onshore wind renewable electricity support scheme, RESS, auction scheduled to take place later this year. The Government remains committed to having 5 GW of offshore wind capacity in development by 2030, with a long-range target of 20 GW by 2040. Five phase 1 offshore wind projects off our east coast, accounting for 3.8 GW of capacity, are in development at present. It is anticipated that the first planning determination will be made by An Coimisiún Pleanála by the end of 2026. The phase 1 projects are responsible for constructing the offshore transmission assets that will connect the sites to the onshore grid. These transmission assets will transfer to EirGrid after commissioning. In December 2025, the Minister announced that the consortium of ESB and Ørsted had won Ireland's second offshore wind auction. It will develop an up to 900 MW project off the coast of Waterford, the first within the south coast designated maritime area plan, DMAP. The Department is currently developing proposals for an auction of the second site, Lí Ban, with potential capacity of between 900 MW and 1.5 GW. I expect the auction for that site to take place in 2027.
Sentiment score: 0.24
Our immediate focus is to get these projects into construction. That is why we have established the accelerating renewable energy task force, alongside the Taoiseach's clearing house. That will provide inter-agency oversight to remove any barriers to grid planning or ports. We have very ambitious targets. In one sense, we are trying to put the resources in place financially, technically and institutionally because we need private investment, and significant amounts of it, to support connections on both the onshore and offshore sides. We are making progress in regard to previous and future auctions. We are also significantly ramping up investment in the CRU and EirGrid. They have agreed a new five-year programme with up to €18.9 billion being provided to support their plan in terms of building capacity within our grid.
Sentiment score: 0.29
I thank the Deputy for his comments. Confidence is growing within the sector. The Lí Ban project was the only project across Europe that was awarded last year. We are ramping up our investment, from the State's perspective, to try to ensure the key enablers are in place. While many of these projects are currently in planning, we hope many will go to construction before the end of the decade. Our responsibility is to guide and support many of these companies. Each phase 1 project is responsible itself for the construction of its own offshore transmission asset. For the Tonn Nua project, EirGrid will build the offshore grid that will link to the connection. The Government is focused on what we can control at the minute, which is building the network and ensuring that over 500 projects, including many substations and interconnectors, are delivered as part of EirGrid's and the CRU's project programme.
Sentiment score: 0.35
The Government is committed to increasing support for offshore wind infrastructure in coastal communities. This is being done in ongoing consultation with all stakeholders in the development of offshore wind energy generation. This includes our local coastal communities and our valued fishing sector, which the Department recognises as crucial to the enduring success of offshore wind energy. The Department is committed to ongoing engagement with the fisheries sector under Ireland’s plan-led approach to offshore renewable energy, ORE, development. The seafood and offshore renewable energy working group provides a forum to facilitate constructive engagement on the interaction between the seafood and ORE industries. In September 2025, the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, and my fellow Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, announced the publication of the proposal and accompanying public participation statement for the national designated maritime area plan, DMAP, for ORE. The proposal outlines the Government’s commitment to extensive and inclusive consultation with the public and stakeholders throughout the process. In recognition of the importance of coastal communities in the national DMAP process, a dedicated community liaison service has been contracted, with the sole focus of working with and providing information directly to coastal communities. Furthermore, all offshore wind generation development projects under the offshore renewable energy support scheme, ORESS, are required to make contributions to their community benefit funds. The community benefit fund will be professionally managed on behalf of the local community, and a local community benefit fund committee will have full responsibility for its funding decisions. Given the anticipated high level of offshore generation, the amounts involved will be substantial and transformative for communities. It is estimated that these will comprise approximately €25 million per annum from the 3.1 GW of capacity contracted under phase 1 of ORESS.
Sentiment score: 0.48
I thank the Deputy for his comments. I agree on the challenge faced by many communities dealing with the prospect of planning consent for large offshore projects. In the Department, my fellow Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, is looking at the national DMAP ORE element. The development of that, using the ecosystem-based approach, is really important. It is important that it is informative as to what impact it will have not just on the environment but also on the habitat and the fisheries. There is a job of work as to how we can work with local government, councillors and local authorities to ensure that awareness and that education piece is promoted and that the offshore renewable zones, which avoid ecologically sensitive areas, are incentivised and supported in a sustainable model to ensure that both can coexist.
Sentiment score: 0.37
Again, I agree with some of the Deputy's comments. It is an important piece that we need to get right. MARA can play an important role as to how it engages with those who are being supported through the community benefit fund and those in the locality who may not sit on the committee that manages the development fund but who have a role to play as to how we look at these types of projects. That approach would be very important in looking at the ecology piece and the benefit through the fund in order that it serves as a practical forum, that exchange of views can be brought to a meeting and there is problem-solving, guidance and data-sharing. That is an important focus that we will possibly go back and look to implement.
Sentiment score: 0.44
In addition to our efforts to mitigate climate change, it is critically important that we plan ahead for a climate-resilient future. Over the past number of years this has become even more evident as powerful storms including Babet, Darragh, Éowyn and most recently Chandra have significantly impacted Irish people, our infrastructure and our economy. Ireland's whole-of-government adaptation policy response to the impacts of climate change is set out in the second national adaptation framework, NAF, published in 2024. The NAF sets out the national strategy to reduce the vulnerability of the country to the negative effects of climate change and to avail of positive impacts. In November 2025, ten sectoral adaptation plans covering 13 key sectors developed under the 2024 NAF were approved by the Government. These contain measurable actions to improve the resilience of key sectors over the next five years. The Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment holds the responsibility for the NAF and the electricity and gas network sectoral adaptation plans. The other sectors are the responsibility of the relevant line Ministers. A new adaptation task force that was established at the end of last year recently commenced work to provide the senior level oversight and co-ordination of Ireland's approach to adaptation, including systematic delivery barriers and cross-cutting issues. Risk guidelines developed by the Department include as key principles a requirement that nature-based solutions be utilised where appropriate to improve resilience to climate impact. Nature-based solutions can build reliance into the priority risks that extreme wind and heat identified in the EPA's national climate change risk report published in June last year.
Sentiment score: 0.15
I can give a full response in writing but I agree that nature-based solutions are increasingly central to Ireland's adaptation policy. From my own experience, I know that examples are under way such as the wetland rehabilitation in the Shannon and Moy catchments. They are creating national flooding storage zones. I know we are under time constraints but I can send the Deputy the rest of the reply.
Sentiment score: 0.24