The Dutch ambassador to Ireland has said co-operation between all sides is essential to ensure Mayo’s potential in the use of offshore wind energy is realised.
The spoke to ambassador Adriaan Palm during his visit to Mayo last Friday where he had a number of engagements, including an official reception at Mayo County Council, visits to Foxford National School, and a biodiversity project in west Mayo.
The ambassador said he can see great potential for Mayo to develop in the area of offshore renewables.
“In all the meetings I had, we touched upon the issue of offshore wind energy and especially the potential of Ireland using the offshore wind off the west coast to help Europe to become energy independent and to have a really open strategic autonomy in the area of energy.
“It means we have to co-operate between the business sector and government between countries to make sure the potential there is truly developed.”
He said he would also like to see co-operation between his own country and Ireland in terms of active travel.
“Every context is different, the situation in a rural area like Mayo is very different from the situation in Dublin. There is no perfect answer, but if you use the different modes of transport, you can get to an optimum solution.”
Mr Palm said Ireland’s importance to the Netherlands as a trading partner has increased since Brexit.
“When you talk about the challenges in the farming sector, there are certain issues where we all have the same challenges. It is important we work together with our farmers to see how we can achieve those common targets,” the ambassador added.
