I thank Aontú for bringing forward this motion and giving me the chance to speak on it. I have spoken about the cost of living multiple times, including when speaking to my constituents. I have spoken 41 times in the Dáil and committees about plug-in solar, and I want to bring it up again. As we know, Ireland is one of the most data centre-dense countries. I brought in a Bill three weeks ago regarding the Electricity Regulation Act, and I look forward to working constructively with members of the Opposition and the Government on this. I believe we need to change how we are dealing with energy. It was one of the things I was elected to do, and I will continuously bang the drum of common-sense solutions. Speaking of my constituents, I have continuously pushed for home heating oil to be addressed in the next budget because of the homes in my constituency that rely on it. They cannot switch, so they are completely exposed to the global oil price volatility Regarding plug-in solar, this is something that we need to do. It is the quickest solution that I have seen. The UK has just done it. I want to explain that it is for everyone. It is for anyone in an apartment who does not have access to the roof. It is for anyone in a heritage building who cannot put solar panels on their property. It is for anyone who wants to buy a kit in their local supermarket for a fraction of the price of the initial investment because, with the current energy price, this will have a payback period of two years. If we allowed Fingal County Council and Dublin City Council to roll these out with a modest investment of €500 million, the payback period would be two years from that investment. If we allowed it in conjunction with batteries, it would be more. Those were calculations that I did on the back of an envelope, so the Minister of State will excuse me if my current calculation is wrong. The average savings in Germany and the UK are estimated at €260 to €300 a year, and the kits cost €500. If the sun keeps shining the way it is, this will help those single mothers in my constituency who want to put money back in their pockets. It will help those children who have just moved out of their parents’ home and bought an apartment, only to be told they cannot get solar panels because they do not have access to the roof. Some of the people who commented on my video said that a solar panel on a balcony could fall on your head. So could a flower pot, but a flower pot is not going to save you €260 a year off your electricity bill, is it? Germany has 700,000 of these systems with zero reported incidents. The UK legalised it earlier in the year. I want to acknowledge where there has been movement because progress has been made, and I give credit where credit is due. The ESB has responded and confirms that it wants to look at the 800 W system. It has committed to building a simplified online registration system and adopting the German safe standard. I thank the Department officials who have worked on this. Regarding the 2024 consultation with Electric Ireland, Bord Gáis, Energia, the Electricity Association of Ireland and ESB Networks, some of their consultation documents to the Department were very good, and I read every single one of them. The German standard needs to be adopted. The remaining question is: when? We need to change the ISO standard and bring this in immediately. If the worry is the danger, let us bring it in as a pilot scheme for new-build social and affordable housing and apartments delivered by local authorities and approved housing bodies, and allow people to save money immediately. Again, the issue of home heating oil must be addressed in the budget.

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