The project will cease.

There is no prospect of any other sites being used. The 2022 Act is precise and clear as to what designated development is. The intention is for it to be located at two separate sites, that is, Shannonbridge and Tarbert generation stations. It is not possible to use alternative sites. Legally, courts have to interpret a particular provision, but any assessment by a court of the definition of "winter", including one based on the various definitions put forward by the Deputies, will be seen as appropriate. We cannot …

The reason for this emergency Bill is to make sure we have power available for next winter. If we do not get the Bill passed and get the EPA started in the licensing process, that will not be possible for the two stations and plants that are planned, whatever about other plants. Starting another process would mean adding another 12 months at least. We have seen from experience, even using emergency legislation, how much time it takes to follow due process and make sure everything is correct. We will not be able to …

No, because the limit of the designated development is 450 MW, which will be fully delivered by the plants we have proposed.

I will try to get that answer for the Deputy now. The Development (Emergency Electricity Generation) Act 2022, under the heading "Designation of development", states: Development comprising of the installation of up to 450 megawatts of temporary emergency electricity generation plant, site development and works ancillary to that installation, and the operation of the plant, intended to be located at two separate sites at Shannonbridge ... In regard to this Bill, the amendment states that the designated development …

Shannonbridge and Tarbert.

Yes.

The arguments have been made.

I thank the members of the Opposition. I know this was difficult because it came at them late and at short notice. I appreciate that. I also thank my officials. It has not been short notice for them. They have been working extensively for a long time to try to ensure this plant is built. I commend their work and thank them for it.

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I thank the Ceann Comhairle and the Deputies for the opportunity to present the Environmental Protection Agency (Emergency Electricity Generation) (Amendment) Bill 2023, which I am grateful to commend to the House. Although many Members will be familiar with the exceptional energy security challenges that face us, as I spoke about these matters when we were debating the Development (Emergency Electricity Generation) Act late last year, which I will refer to today a…

I thank Deputies for their contributions. I want to respond to some of the issues that were raised. The first of these relates to the process. It is challenging when we bring forward emergency legislation and have to waive pre-legislative scrutiny. That is unfortunate and regrettable. It is not something we want to be doing except in extremis , which is the position we find ourselves in because the power supply to the country is tight. We have a responsibility to the people of this country to keep the lights on, pa…

I will come back to Deputy McNamara on phases 1, 2 and 3. He should not always believe what he reads in the newspapers. We are absolutely committed to floating offshore wind generation. It will involve the power-to-X approach the Deputy mentioned. As Government committed to the summer before last, we want not only a form of electricity but also innovative solutions that will use that power when it comes ashore at the likes of the Shannon Harbour or Cork Harbour. It is not just about electricity; it is also the pote…

No, I do not believe it did. The rectification will similarly not benefit any company. The way we have arranged for emergency generation is time-limited and will come to an end. Plant will have to be sold on or decommissioned. While it is an unusual intervention, it is designed in such a way as not to undermine our market investment in other plant. We expect some 900 MW of plant in total to be delivered this year as backup flexible capability. That will include other private providers. It was right for Government t…

It is unprecedented and I recognise that it is difficult on households across the country. We have a responsibility as the Government to try to protect our people and help them to get through this time, when energy is being used as a weapon of war and high prices are hitting home. I will set out what we have been doing. People opposite have heard it before, but it bears repeating. The response has been the correct one. It was the response that could be the most targeted and most effective in terms of getting cash t…

In fact, I argued for them the most at the European Council.

When we introduce the legislation in the coming weeks, it will be seen that we have some of the highest standards and most rigorous application of those European tools.

The Government approved windfall taxes and will introduce them. The Deputy will say that the way we do it means we are the weakest in Europe in that regard, but the exact opposite is the truth. Similarly in terms of market reform, it would be easy to say we should just apply a cap. Some of those windfall measures effectively apply a cap, but other caps would come with large potential costs to the Irish people and would not have the same targeted capability that we introduced by using measures in the social welfare …

We want to do it to ensure it is optimal for the public, but simplistic solutions-----

The idea that, but for the political will, we would suddenly have a market system that both delivered cheaper renewable power that we have access to and gave us security is not the real world. We will work and engage with Europe on that reform - we are in the middle of it, with a European Council meeting last week - and I look forward to hearing Sinn Féin's suggestions on what the new market structures would be. Let us have a debate on what exactly Sinn Féin wants the market system to be. That is the complex issue …

BusConnects programmes will be substantially delivered in all five of Ireland’s cities by the end of the decade. BusConnects Dublin is the most advanced of the five programmes. The programme preliminary business case and the detailed project brief for next generation ticketing were approved by Government in March 2022. This approval gave decision gate 1 approval to the programme in principle under the public spending code, decision gate 1 approval to the core bus corridors project to facilitate the submission of pl…