Moneypoint a major part of our 'untapped potential'

Clare in the coming years. These actions will be included in the first draft of the Climate Action Plan to be published later this year, when the statutory public consultation process will begin.”

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MCMAHON paraic@clareecho.ie ing from renewable sources, this was met in 2020. Now, he wants this doubled to 80 percent by 2030. one of the ways we can do it is by switching offshore, our sea area is seven times our land area, there is a limit in Kerry as to how much turbines you can put up in any area but at sea, the resource is huge and the wind power is really strong,” he stated.

The plan will aim to position Clare as a national leader in climate action and strengthen the delivery of effective climate action at local and community levels, through placebased climate action.

MThe Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020 published by government in October 2020, requires local authorities to develop five-year Climate Action Plans with mitigation and adaptation measures included. The plan will include actions which aim to reduce Clare County Council’s own emissions by 51% by 2030 and create pathways towards enabling sectoral reductions in emissions across the county.

INISTER for the Environment, Eamon Ryan (GP) has pinpointed Moneypoint as a vital component in Ireland reducing its energy emissions.

Members of the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce are currently assessing the strategic strengths and comparative advantages of the Estuary will be assessed by the Taskforce while also scoping out potential economic opportunities. The group is to have a report compiled by the end of November.

An auction for the country’s first “major offshore projects” is to commence this year on the east coast, Minister Ryan said. “Most of them you drive the turbines into the sand banks on the coast, we’re now planning phase two which goes to the west and south-west, it

In the past fortnight, the Irish curement of 450 megawatts of emergency generators to help close the gap over winter if there was no wind to generate power and one rienced a shutdown, this will cost eypoint is central to this. Speaking on Radio Kerry’s flagship current affairs show, Kerry Today, Minister Ryan outlined, “We will have a lot of offshore wind which will come into shore at the Shannon Estuary, that’s where we have the deep-wa ter port.

The plan will set out the key actions that will support Clare in its transition to a climate resilient, biodiversity rich, environmentally sustainable and climate neutral economy by 2050. The actions of the plan will look not only at how Clare County Council can transform its own operations and services but will consider what other organisations the Council can partner with and what support it can give to local communities and individuals.

Chairperson of the Taskforce, Barry O’Sullivan recently met with Minister Ryan and for the Green Party leader their engagement hammered home the possibilities for the entire region surrounding

Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Tony O’Brien, commented, “Clare County Council is seeking public engagement in the

During his time as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2011, Ryan set a target of 40 per cent of the country’s energy com communities will provide feedback on how best to ensure that the environmental, social and economic benefits that come with climate action can be fully realised.”

To inform the development of the plan, a Climate Action Plan Sum mary Report has been published which provides an evidence base upon which action areas can be

"If you look at what the likes of ESB are proposing and look at Moneypoint on the other side of the Estuary and similar with Tarbert on this side, you’ve all you need there, you have a really good deep water jetty so any ships can get in, you have a platform there which you could deploy turbines out but what the ESB want to do, you bring the offshore wind in there, you use the grid which we have, there’s major electricity wires erosion, flooding, heatwaves and severe storms.

Pat Dowling, Chief Executive of Clare County Council, said, “Climate change is increasingly understood to be the most critical, longterm global challenge of our time. Through our wide-ranging service provision across the county, Clare County Council is ideally positioned reductions required over the coming decade.”

Siobhán McNulty, Acting Director of Physical Development in Clare County Council, said, “Feedback will help the Council to identify ac tions that need to be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase biodiversity and prepare and adapt for climate change in

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The development of the Climate Action Plan also coincides with the development of a new Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) 2023-2029 for the county. Feedback on both plans can be provided in person at any of the upcoming consultation events:

• Monday, 12th June, in the Shannon Municipal District Office (5pm to 8pm)

• Tuesday, 13th June, at the Ennis MD Office in Drumbiggle (5pm to 8pm)

Minister Ryan insisted that this was necessary. “We will have emergency generators to provide back up as well, we do need that, the really big strategic option by 2030 what we’re planning to have is 5GW of offshore wind and to put that in scale, that is equivalent to the amount of energy we’re using at the current time.

• Wednesday, 14th June, at the Killaloe MD Office in Scarriff (5pm to 8pm)

"We by 2030 can deliver that level, then the following decade and this is the really big industrial plan for the country, we can use that to go further to really tap into the scale of power that is available”.

• Thursday, 15th June, at the West Clare MD Offices in Kilrush and Ennistymon (5pm to 8pm).

The Climate Action Plan Summary Report is available to view on Clare County Council’s engagement platform ‘Your Say’ where feedback can also be provided through an online survey which will be open until Friday, 23rd June. Individuals, communities and organisations can also provide written feedback directly to Clare County Council (referencing ‘Climate Action Plan’) or emailed feedback to climate@clarecoco.ie

To complete the online survey, or for more information, visit: https:// yoursay.clarecoco.ie/climate-ac tion-plan