Provision of €26m ocean energy budget criticised

MINISTER FOR Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan refused to be drawn on whether the full €26 million pledged for the development of ocean energy would be provided.

The Minister said €7 million would be spent this year and that he was “not going to forecast next year’s budget”, but “the Government attaches the highest priority to this area and will not be found wanting when it comes to budget allocation”.

He was responding to criticism from Fine Gael spokesman Simon Coveney, who pressed the Minister about budget allocations and claimed the Minister is “all about announcements and not delivery”.

Mr Ryan insisted that “it is not all about figures”. Mr Coveney said the Minister pledged in January last year that €1 million would be spent on a world-class national ocean energy facility in UCC, €2 million to develop a grid-connected wave energy site near Belmullet, Co Mayo, and €2 million in grant aid under the energy prototype fund for developers of ocean energy technology, all in 2008. However, only €1 million was spent and Mr Ryan was offering “the usual bluff”.

The Minister said, however, the ocean energy framework was on a 10-year basis and crucial to commercialisation was the establishment of the ocean energy unit.

“While I regret the delay in setting up the unit and the consequent inability to spend the various budgets, I believe we have got the unit and the strategy right and the money will be spent this year or next to allow us to catch up.”

Mr Ryan also stressed that the delays in launching the grant aid programme “have not diverted us from the 10-year development plan set out in our ocean energy strategy”.