Wind Energy Ireland has called on the Government to give the planning system the funding it needs to help accelerate renewable energy projects and to put funding in place to invest in port infrastructure for the development of offshore wind energy.
It made the calls in its pre-Budget submission "Building a clean energy future for Ireland". Budget 2025 will be announced on October 1.
The Irish wind energy industry warned that given the lengthy timelines for delivery, Budget 2025 may be the last chance to put in place the necessary resources to enable the country to deliver the Climate Action Plan for 2030.
Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland, said the country is not building wind farms quickly enough to keep up with the scale of renewable energy deployment that is needed, which means higher bills, more fossil fuel imports and even more carbon emissions.
He noted that recent investments in State agencies such as An Bord Pleanála (ABP) and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) have improved the speed of decision-making on planning applications which is very positive.
"However, these organisations, and particularly local authority planning departments, still need more staff with the required expertise to assess an increasing amount of planning applications for critical renewable energy infrastructure like wind and solar farms," he said.
"Giving the planning system the resources it needs to ensure applications for renewable energy and electricity grid infrastructure projects are thoroughly, but quickly, assessed is a vital investment for our future," he added.
Wind Energy Ireland has also called for the establishment of an Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Port Infrastructure Fund to help finance port infrastructure for offshore wind development.
This follows the publication of new research from DCU in June, which found that at least two ports are needed to deliver the country's 2030 offshore wind targets.
Funding to support the development of electricity infrastructure, such as energy storage, is also addressed in the pre-budget submission.
Wind Energy Ireland highlights the need to have a strengthened electricity grid in place to distribute energy to homes, businesses and transport systems here.
"Budget 2025 is an opportunity to put in place the incentives to develop important infrastructure to use and store renewable energy," Noel Cunniffe said.
"When our wind and solar farms are generating electricity, we need a strong grid to ensure we can use it and we need long-duration energy storage so we can save the excess renewable energy for when we need it," he said.
"The good news is the investment is there and if Government, industry and communities work closely together, we can build our energy independence and deliver more affordable, clean energy for Irish families," he concluded.
