Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
487. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the specific measures in place or under consideration to support the development of a domestic solar panel manufacturing industry, including through tax incentives, capital supports, or investment attraction; the role of Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30155/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraBuilding on the successful delivery of actions under Powering Prosperity - Ireland’s Offshore Wind Industrial Strategy, and reflecting stakeholder feedback on the need to consider the wider renewable energy system, my Department is currently developing a new green growth industrial strategy, which we aim to publish later in 2026.
The new strategy will take a broader view of the renewable energy system and will have a core focus on supporting companies developing certain green technologies linked to the renewable energy system, including innovation and in-company research and development, and building the required supply chain for their deployment.
A public consultation to inform the development of the new strategy concluded on 4 March 2026 and officials in my Department are currently reviewing the submissions, which we intend to publish in the coming weeks. The consultation invited views on a broad suite of green and emerging technologies that could potentially benefit from strategic-level intervention, including onshore renewable energy technologies such as solar. Key stakeholders in the development of the new strategy will include the enterprise development agencies – Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland.
Enterprise Ireland already supports several Irish owned companies across the solar value chain through productivity to build scale, innovation, digitalisation and export focused supports. As more companies in the sector deliver scale, build international market presence and deepen technical capability, the business case for higher value domestic manufacturing opportunities—such as advanced assembly, component production and niche manufacturing with export potential—becomes increasingly realistic in response to evolving technology and market requirements.
Enterprise Ireland will continue to support the evolution of Ireland’s solar sector with a strong focus on innovation capability, skills development, productivity improvement and international competitiveness, while remaining open to domestic manufacturing opportunities that can be sustainably developed over time and compete successfully in export markets.
IDA Ireland’s 2025-29 strategy, Adapt Intelligently, includes a focus on new growth opportunities. The strategy targets 1,000 investments to drive new R&D spend of €7 billion, new job creation of 75,000, the upskilling of 40,000 people, and a 35% reduction in IDA client carbon emissions. IDA Ireland’s existing grant supports aim to attract investment to Ireland and to drive productivity and competitiveness. Among these are Green Capital grants to promote competitiveness enhancing investments in decarbonisation and energy efficiency, as well as RD&I grants, training grants, and employment and capital grants for clients in eligible regional locations to support investment in new job creation and expansion of activities.
At EU level the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) and the proposed Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) include measures to support the development of a variety of technologies/industries. The NZIA establishes a framework of measures to strengthen Europe's net-zero technology manufacturing ecosystem. There are 19 technologies in scope, including solar technologies, and the Act aims to facilitate investments in manufacturing these green technologies. My Department continues to progress implementation of the Act.
The IAA, while still under negotiation at EU level, aims to de-risk private investment by reducing regulatory uncertainty through faster, more predictable permitting while creating lead markets that provide early, reliable demand for EU-made green technologies through tools such as public procurement.
Together, the NZIA and the IAA aim to strengthen Europe’s green industrial base by aligning supply-side manufacturing support with demand-side market creation.
