On the first issue, it is complex and the regulator will have to decide on it. I understand it applies to T-3 and T-4 auctions which are in train at this moment in time. My expectation, depending on what the CRU comes out with in its final decision, is that it is not precluded that the terms and conditions for the ongoing existing options would be updated or amended according to the decision. It has to make the best call on that situation. As I said, the biggest problem with the other two areas of difficulty are wi…

I do not believe we do. I had a meeting with GNI and do not recall the need for legislation being raised.

In order to fully realise the potential and provide a competitive route to market for a strong pipeline of renewable energy projects, the Government is tackling barriers, exactly as the Deputy suggested, across our planning, grid-development and financing systems to better support the timely delivery of additional renewable energy sources and the required supporting infrastructure. Under action 102 of the climate action plan 2021, several measures are being undertaken to enable the delivery of a more comprehensive …

I hope the Deputy will see real change occurring in the coming weeks. I was in Tarbert last week subsequent to a visit to Shannon Foynes Port. I could talk about the Sceirde Rocks project in Connemara or the plans in Galway but I will take the Shannon Estuary as an example. A very significant report has been commissioned from Bechtel to look at the potential in the Shannon Estuary. I had a meeting with the Shannon Estuary economic task force and I believe we are all ad idem with the sense of the opportunity. It is …

We are engaged in a support process on onshore renewables. The Deputy is right in that we will need further onshore wind and solar energy, batteries, pump storage and a range of other solutions as we transition to this zero-carbon, stable, secure and lower-cost energy system for our people. The RESS auctions systems will continue. We have done two of them. The third will come up and we have learned lessons from the first two. In the coming weeks, if not days, we will be setting out the renewable support scheme whic…

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, has statutory responsibility to ensure security of supply. It also has the duty to monitor electricity supplies and to take such measures as it considers necessary to protect the security of supply. It is assisted in this role by EirGrid and my Department. The CRU currently has a programme of actions under way to ensure the security of electricity supply over coming winters. The security of supply programme of actions contains both a number of demands and supply-side…

The Deputy is right to draw our attention to the potential of district heating. It is going to play a vital role in meeting our climate targets, protecting our people from high fossil fuel prices and building better homes for them. As the Deputy knows, it is not without its complications. We need to learn from other countries and from the small number of projects that have been developed here. However, it is going to play a key role. That is why we have set up the working group, which has met more than a dozen time…

I will be brief. I am very glad Codema was represented at the roadshow. If there are projects at planning stage, that is the time to design in such a system as a planning condition. Companies should be willing to support this. They also have corporate social responsibility and their own emissions reduction targets. There can be no better way of achieving that than using waste heat from any commercial industrial process to support the local community to create a commercial opportunity around the use of that heat. I …

A total of 44,000 households in Ireland are now generating their own power.

I take the Deputy's point that we need to extend the schemes to farms and make renewable energy generation part of farm income. That is why we are consulting on a new scheme for small-scale generation, which goes from 50 kV up to 6 MW. Farmers will not have to go into an auction system or other complicated processes. Solar energy is the type of generation that makes the most sense for farmers. The scheme will open up an opportunity to install panels, whether on the barn roof or in a field. There is a huge opportuni…

I very much appreciate the chance to reply to the debate. I might start with Deputy Nolan and respectfully say that the greatest recklessness is allowing our world to burn. This summer we saw the reality of what climate change is doing. It is killing millions of people in the Horn of Africa.

The most extreme-----

I also want to respond to the other Deputies I heard on the wider issue of energy security. There are three aspects that we need to consider among others. The immediate key security issue is energy being used as a weapon of war. The Russian Government as long ago as the summer of 2021 started to turn off the gas supplies to Europe in preparation for the war. It is clear now its aim was to reduce the storage in the European system prior to the war starting. That started a spike in prices as early as summer 2021. Thi…

I thank the Deputy for the chance to answer the question. It is timely due to last week’s meeting about the issue of the western corridor and the significant development of the clearance of some of the Foynes line, which I hope is a harbinger of a significant revival, not just of rail freight in our country but for the city of Limerick and surrounding region. The Shannon area task force will come forward with an important report. I hope and expect that it will support this type of development and capture the sense …

With regard to Dublin Port, there are different views. Dublin Port has argued that it could not run the rail lines which it currently does quayside but instead shunt containers by truck from the port to the Sheriff Street area. Irish Rail has argued that has huge disadvantages and needs the area for its operations, and that once there are double or several movements things become very expensive. I tend to agree with Irish Rail. We are going to go with railhead to the quayside in Cork, Waterford, Wexford and Shannon…

I thank Deputies for their contributions. I was not here for the start of the debate, unfortunately, because I had another meeting. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, for opening the debate and I am happy to be here to respond and answer some of the queries that were raised. We will return later this evening for Committee and Remaining Stages. Deputy Berry and others made the point that we should not be putting through legislation in such a manner whereby we are dealing with all Stages on the same …

We have to show and prove it is being done in exceptional circumstances. In further response to Deputy Harkin, right through this process, we have been in communication with the European Commission. We meet in the Energy Council every second week at the moment because of the energy crisis. I first mentioned to the Commissioner earlier this year that we were aware we would have to take these sorts of measures to deliver the power the auction system did not deliver. At every stage in the process, we kept the Commissi…

First, I cannot accept amendment No. 1. I understand the Deputies are concerned that the proposal may appear to be open-ended and as such could be used to approve other developments. To be clear, what I am asking the House to approve is the delivery of up to 450 MW of electricity generation for installation by next winter. That is considered an exceptional case for the purposes of Article 2(4) of the environmental impact assessment, EIA, directive. The alternative assessments can be carried out by the State. The in…

Section 7(1) states: "The Minister may, having considered an application made to him or her under section 4". This is done having taken into account the assessments carried out by the board under section 5(2) and section 6(1). An Bord Pleanála is independent in this. It will carry out the assessment. It has the independent inspectors. If, according to section 7(1), it sets out conditions or recommendations, these would limit or affect what a Minister would consider doing in approving or refusing a development subje…

As I understand the drafting, the Minister does have to take into account the assessments. What is in the legislation is as powerful grammatically as "shall". It is clear that it is a case of "having taken into account". The Minister has to take into account the recommendations, assessments and conditions set out by the board.