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The aim of this study is to assess the capacity within Government departments and associated State agencies in terms of human resources to deliver Ireland’s offshore wind targets (e.g. 3.5GW by 2030), and make recommendations on the investment in human resources required. Discussions were held with representatives from a number of Government departments and agencies to determine the numbers of people currently engaged in work relating to offshore wind and to gain an understanding of the tasks that must still be accomplished before offshore wind turbines can be installed in Irish waters. The planning and consenting process for offshore wind in Scotland was also investigated to see if there are lessons to be learned by Ireland from the Scottish experience. It was found that there are a number of potential bottlenecks within the consenting process that must be addressed if Ireland’s offshore wind targets are to be met. It is likely that An Bord Pleanála will receive a surge of offshore wind farm applications from Relevant Projects in 2021/2022; therefore, it is recommended that a minimum of 10 staff within An Bord Pleanála should be dedicated to processing these applications. Both the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment will need additional resourcing to ensure efficient marine planning and consenting processes. It is also recommended that resources are fed into the statutory consultees to ensure proper consultation and to prevent challenges on nature conservation grounds creating lengthy delays. For this reason also, the establishment of a coordinated scientific research and data collection programme is recommended to support the marine spatial planning and consenting processes.

The aim of this study is to assess the capacity within Government departments and associated State agencies in terms of human resources to deliver Ireland’s offshore wind targets (e.g. 3.5GW by 2030), and make recommendations on the investment in human resources required. Discussions were held with representatives from a number of Government departments and agencies to determine the numbers of people currently engaged in work relating to offshore wind and to gain an understanding of the tasks that must still be accomplished before offshore wind turbines can be installed in Irish waters. The planning and consenting process for offshore wind in Scotland was also investigated to see if there are lessons to be learned by Ireland from the Scottish experience. It was found that there are a number of potential bottlenecks within the consenting process that must be addressed if Ireland’s offshore wind targets are to be met. It is likely that An Bord Pleanála will receive a surge of offshore wind farm applications from Relevant Projects in 2021/2022; therefore, it is recommended that a minimum of 10 staff within An Bord Pleanála should be dedicated to processing these applications. Both the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment will need additional resourcing to ensure efficient marine planning and consenting processes. It is also recommended that resources are fed into the statutory consultees to ensure proper consultation and to prevent challenges on nature conservation grounds creating lengthy delays. For this reason also, the establishment of a coordinated scientific research and data collection programme is recommended to support the marine spatial planning and consenting processes.

The aim of this study is to assess the capacity within Government departments and associated State agencies in terms of human resources to deliver Ireland’s offshore wind targets (e.g. 3.5GW by 2030), and make recommendations on the investment in human resources required. Discussions were held with representatives from a number of Government departments and agencies to determine the numbers of people currently engaged in work relating to offshore wind and to gain an understanding of the tasks that must still be accomplished before offshore wind turbines can be installed in Irish waters. The planning and consenting process for offshore wind in Scotland was also investigated to see if there are lessons to be learned by Ireland from the Scottish experience. It was found that there are a number of potential bottlenecks within the consenting process that must be addressed if Ireland’s offshore wind targets are to be met. It is likely that An Bord Pleanála will receive a surge of offshore wind farm applications from Relevant Projects in 2021/2022; therefore, it is recommended that a minimum of 10 staff within An Bord Pleanála should be dedicated to processing these applications. Both the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment will need additional resourcing to ensure efficient marine planning and consenting processes. It is also recommended that resources are fed into the statutory consultees to ensure proper consultation and to prevent challenges on nature conservation grounds creating lengthy delays. For this reason also, the establishment of a coordinated scientific research and data collection programme is recommended to support the marine spatial planning and consenting processes.