Vacant Homes Tax: Motion [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2023-04-19
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Peter Burke (FG), Longford-Westmeath

We also have to improve the road infrastructure. Regarding the offshore renewable projects, there are more than 36 new projects that are either in design or final stages. Half of them are in the Irish Sea. It is critical to meeting our obligations and reaching our target of 80% renewable energy by 2030 that we have the necessary infrastructure in the port. As I said before in this House, we have updated our legislation to provide for the planning and consent process around delivery of offshore renewable infrastructure. The maritime area regulatory authority, MARA, having its headquarters in Wexford will be a key instrument in adjudicating on all those consents, which are going to be very important. Seven times our landmass is offshore. It is one of those key areas that could be a huge benefit for this country into the future. We look forward to delivering on those aspirations. We will do all we can to accelerate that infrastructure because it is of vital importance.
Deputy Howlin asked detailed questions about state aid. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan also mentioned it, as did Deputy Harkin, who also raised the Inflation Reduction Act. There are huge discussions going on around both pieces of legislation, that is, the critical infrastructure Bill and the zero-emissions Bill, and what the detail of those two key instruments is going to be. In all of the bilateral engagements I have had since being appointed Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, I have raised the need for any changes in the Single Market or state aid rules to first be evidence-based. Impact assessments must be carried out to ensure smaller open economies are not adversely affected by such changes.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:51:47+00:00
Sitting date: 2023-04-19