Talks to break a deadlock between the fishing and offshore energy industries are making progress, according to Minister of State Timmy Dooley.
Discussions at a Government-established working group involving the seafood and offshore renewable energy industries reached an “impasse” on key issues last month, Dooley said this week.
He appointed experienced mediator and former head of the Labour Relations Commission, Kieran Mulvey, to chair negotiations aimed at bringing both sides together.
Mulvey has been “engaging intensively with both parties”, Dooley, Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, told the Wind Energy Ireland conference.
He said discussions had been constructive and were continuing, adding that it was in all sides’ interests to resolve the issues.
Plans to build wind farms in the Irish Sea and off the southeast coast could involve surveys and other work likely to disrupt the fishing industry.
Talks became deadlocked last month when the offshore energy sector sought to focus the discussions on developing a formula for compensating fishermen for that work, which is likely to disrupt their businesses in the near future.
However, it is understood the fishing industry representatives favoured negotiations on the likely longer-term impact on their businesses.
The energy industry argues that this raises broader policy issues better dealt with by Government.
Wind Energy Ireland’s director of external affairs Justin Moran said offshore developers wanted a system to ensure fishermen were fairly compensated if they lost money.
“We’re working with Mr Mulvey, the seafood organisations and the relevant Government departments to try and design a process that is transparent, robust and protects the incomes of fishermen directly affected by offshore wind energy survey or construction activity,” he said.
The Government established the working group in 2022 to anticipate likely clashes between the two industries and encourage them to liaise with each other as efforts to exploit offshore wind energy began in earnest.
Membership includes Wind Energy Ireland and other related industry groups, regional fishermen’s organisations and forums, seafood producers, and Government departments and agencies.
The Republic has yet to develop an offshore wind energy industry, despite having one of the largest maritime areas in the EU.
Government climate action plans originally aimed to have offshore wind farms capable of generating 5,000MW of electricity, about 80 per cent of peak demand in the Republic, operating in Irish waters by 2030.
