The Irish government continues to support a developer-led business model for offshore wind.  This has allowed developers to identify and lay claim to any site they choose and apply for rights on that site.  Currently, four projects have received a route to market (meaning that these projects have been accepted for the government Offshore Renewable Energy Support Scheme (ORESS); North Irish Sea Array (Skerries), Dublin Array (Kish & Bray Banks, South Dublin/Wicklow), Codling Wind Park (Bray/Greystones/Wicklow) and Sceirde Rocks (Connemara).

These sites were targeted by speculative interests more than 20 years ago without any environmental assessment as to their suitability for development. Careful site selection is the most important step in avoiding damaging environmental impacts of wind and solar developments. These historic sites have not been the subject of any Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA), nor are they required to align with a marine spatial plan. The only environment assessments undertaken have been commissioned and paid for by the developers and environmental consultants employed by, or associated with, developers. This is, surprisingly, not illegal, but it underlines the importance of having a robust system to scrutinise submissions made in support of the developers’ proposals. In Ireland no such reliable system of scrutiny exists.