Electricity Transmission Network
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-16
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Timmy Dooley (FF), Clare

I hope the Deputy does not think I am being evasive but I am just providing him with the information I have. I am aware that the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, meets with EirGrid monthly. He seeks to get an update on projects and he is very anxious that in all those instances he communicates to EirGrid the Government's priorities in this regard, and the Government's priorities have not changed. We are accelerating the development of infrastructure. There are State agencies that are established with their own independence, their own governance and their own boards of directors, so there is a limit in those circumstances as to what the Government can do other than to set out what policy is. We must be mindful, too, that we must follow the democratic principles that are established. EirGrid is answerable to its board, to the CRU and, ultimately, to the Oireachtas through the committee.
We represent the citizens of the State. We recognise the importance of this and we will continue to pursue that. In fact, I am meeting with Errol Close and a number of other people from EirGrid today, albeit in relation to separate projects, but I will communicate again the discussion here, and rest assured, I will continue to drive that. It is a recognition, too, that the Taoiseach has even established a clearing house in relation to offshore wind, of which the grid becomes part as well as an action-oriented plan to get delivery on these projects.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:49+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-16