The programme for Government acknowledges the increased energy cost pressures on households and businesses. I know, as I said earlier, that that is a real issue for people. The programme for Government commits to bringing forward additional measures to address those costs, and we have discussed that. I established a cross-government energy affordability task force. We identified particular measures, which we have dealt with in this budget. A further piece of work we are doing, which I will bring forward, is the final report in 2026. That will look at network charges, structures and so on. There will be a European dimension to this too, and it requires movement from Europe, particularly with regard to the spark gap. That needs to be addressed. We are committed to reaching our legally binding targets on climate neutrality. We are also committed to bringing about energy sovereignty in this country. As Deputy Ó Cearúil mentioned in the previous question, we have a real opportunity to do that and to secure for ourselves clean energy that is generated and owned by us and that will help us decarbonise our society and reduce our energy bills. Given the potential impact the RHO could have on end customers, energy affordability and the impact on household energy bills were key considerations in developing the scheme. My Department has carried out extensive analysis and stakeholder engagement, including with energy suppliers, to ensure that final decisions taken in relation to the scheme are evidence based and supportive of its successful introduction. A number of scheme parameters have been designed to allow flexibility to obligated parties in meeting their obligations, which will in turn reduce the overall burden on the end consumer. Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity market and the implementation of the price review 6 process and its outcomes is a matter for the regulator, the CRU. The CRU is independent and, in relation to the outcome of the price review strategy and associated issues, the Deputy can and may wish to engage directly with it. He should note, however, the significant equity investment the Government is making in the system operators, which we discussed just last night. That in itself is significant-----

Sentiment score: 0.27

Okay. I will come back in on some of that.

Sentiment score: 0.11

As I have said in the House before, I reject both the assertions from the Department of public expenditure and the comments made earlier this year on housing and data centres. They are not correct. Government policy is clear on this. We have a growing population and growing housing stock, thankfully. Price review 6, when published before the end of this year, will show how we will meet that future energy demand. We need to invest in our grid, and there will be a cost associated with that. I mentioned what we were doing last night in relation to providing the equity investment for ESB and a further equity investment for EirGrid. That reduces the requirement for borrowing somewhat and allows them to leverage off that equity to borrow. Into the future, I will look at maybe longer term borrowing and repayment to reduce the burden on the regulatory framework. That is something we have to balance, but we do need this grid investment. I put it to the Deputy again that projects like the North-South interconnector are absolutely required. This is consented to both sides of the Border and it is not developed. It needs to happen. The connector is one project that will bring down energy bills for businesses and households straight away.

Sentiment score: 0.08

As regards cost transparency, absolutely, and we need an analysis, and we are doing an analysis, of the costs that are there. I have met the four largest energy providers and have interrogated them on this very matter. We have to watch this very closely. Energy bills are too high in Ireland. They are too high right across Europe. In Cyprus, net energy costs are about 20% of average net pay, so we are not on our own on this. We are about the eighth most expensive in Europe. As I mentioned to Deputy Whitmore earlier, there are unique reasons for that because of our being an island nation, but we need to take measures that will drive down costs permanently. We will always be at risk of geopolitical issues too, though. That is why we need to continue and accelerate the delivery of clean energy and renewables - energy that we ourselves own and can generate to decarbonise our society, to reduce energy bills and to secure energy for the future of this country. That is what drives me. Affordability is key and central to that. Every discussion I have at the European Council and with energy providers is about affordability. We have to work hard on that to drive down costs and provide affordability but also support those who need it most. That is why the measures in the budget were so critical.

Sentiment score: 0.09

Tuigim an cheist. I want to put this in context. We go back to the Energy Security in Ireland to 2030 report that we published, and we published the Cambridge Economic Policy Associates report as well. We offered briefings on that too. A very clear risk was identified in that we have no gas reserve in this country. That is why we are proceeding with the floating storage and regasification unit, FSRU, which will be State-owned, State-led and State-operated. I expect we will receive a decision shortly from Gas Networks Ireland, GNI, on preferred locations. State-owned and State-led is absolutely needed and required. My focus is on expanding renewables, reducing our dependency on fossil fuels and moving away from them. We operate an open and transparent legal regulatory and planning consenting framework. Any application for fossil fuel infrastructure in Ireland will be subject to appropriate approvals by the relevant bodies. They also have to have regard to the provisions of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. Government policy on reducing fossil fuel use is set out in our programme for Government. We are absolutely committed to it. We remain of the view that long-term energy security is best achieved through substantial growth in indigenous clean, renewable energy; improvements in energy efficiency, which we have discussed; electrification of heat and transport; and increased electrical interconnection with our neighbours. The Celtic interconnector is under construction. We will have the MaresConnect interconnector, and we are engaging with European partners on another interconnector to continental Europe. Any application made for any fossil fuel generation is a matter for the planning authority, but it must have regard to our climate Act and our programme for Government.

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As the Deputy knows, I received a letter from An Coimisiún Pleanála that was addressed to the wrong office. It was received months after it was sent. I thought it was a strange letter to receive from An Coimisiún Pleanála, but I did respond to it. I provided the Government's position on it. The Deputy mentioned the fracked gas policy that was set aside. It was set aside because my predecessor received legal advice that clearly stated it was not legally sound and that policy should not differentiate between the type of LNG. It is a matter for An Coimisiún Pleanála to make a decision on a specific planning application. I do not mean to be evasive, but I am acutely aware that there is an application and proceedings relating to a specific application and I do not want to say anything that would in any way, shape or form be seen as reaching into the planning process. However, I did respond to the letter I received from An Coimisiún Pleanála. I responded to it in the timeframe that was asked. An Coimisiún Pleanála will consider the application as it is received. It is up to the commission to decide upon it.

Sentiment score: 0.01

I understand the point being made. We are committed to the publicly owned FSRU. We have actually advanced it. We meet regularly on this with GNI involved with my own officials and myself to expedite the delivery of it. Hopefully, the Deputy will see that in the coming weeks. I expect there will be a decision regarding options for its location, and indeed, its location. That is what the Government is committed to from an energy security perspective. That is absolutely consistent with the climate action plan. I want continued expansion of renewables and the acceleration of clean energy across all the different methods that we can, be they solar, wind, anaerobic digestion, AD, biomethane and all of that, to feed into our energy system. That is where we are moving. We are doing well but we need to accelerate that further. Any gas reserve will be State-owned and State-managed, and it is not for a private entity to deliver that for the State. That is not our position. It will be State-owned, State-led and State-managed.

Sentiment score: 0.18

I thank the Deputy. Government policy is supportive of the expansion of district heating to contribute to the diversification of fuel supply to decarbonise the heat sector. We have massive opportunities there. We have not done well in Ireland. We have one district heating scheme in place in Tallaght, but we have a number of others that we can deliver in the near term. To this end, the district heating steering group report was approved by the Government the year before last. The report contains a suite of recommendations, but we really need to move on this. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, has engaged with the EIB on foot of a recommendation in the steering group report to explore financing options for the establishment of a viable district heating sector in Ireland, including supports available from the EIB. I met with officials from the EIB, and we signed an agreement the week before last. My Department is now engaged, through the SEAI, in undertaking a comprehensive advisory project, which will draw on best practice across Europe to help to inform the long-term strategy for developing district heating systems in Ireland. I am speaking at the district heating Ireland conference next week, and I expect to have expressions of interest in other schemes on that. In tandem, we are looking at the heat (networks and miscellaneous provisions) Bill, which will introduce a regulatory framework on district heating. The general scheme of the Bill has been approved by the Government. It has been drafted with the intention of appointing the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, CRU, as the regulator for all heat networks, including district and communal heating, which Carlinn Hall falls under. The general scheme sets out proposed functions for the regulator, so there is work ongoing. The Deputy has raised Carlinn Hall on a number of occasions in this Chamber. It is a private scheme. It is not a district heating scheme. The SEAI has provided - I have asked them to provide - advisory assistance to residents. I believe that is under way. There are some solutions there. We are a long way from the EIB being able to assist Carlinn Hall residents, but if we can continue to provide advisory support to residents, I will continue to ensure that happens. Some bespoke solutions have been put forward to residents in that development and it is something they will need to advance, but if we can provide support in an advisory way, we will.

Sentiment score: 0.26

That European directive was transposed in relation to that. We are not permitted, and rightly so, to provide grant aid for fossil fuel boilers. There are other options, however, such as hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO, and other things at which we are looking. We are looking at some supports within that space. We are moving away from fossil fuel boilers. We are doing well as a country with regard to energy generation through renewables. As I said, it was over 41% last year. However, particularly, although not exclusively, in rural areas, there is a preponderance of both oil and gas boilers. That grant aid is not permitted any more through EU directives that we have transposed. We will look at other options, particularly around HVO and what we might be able to do in that space. I know the Deputy was at a committee meeting, but I have given some quite substantial responses with regard to energy affordability this morning. The interim report has been published now. The Deputy rightly said that we have actually taken measures in the budget, such as the permanent reduction to 9% VAT, the increase in the fuel allowance and the expansion of the fuel allowance to the working family payment. We are talking about another 50,000 households in that space. I met with the four main energy companies directly. At my request, they have established hardship funds across those providers for the winter months and I am grateful that they have. Energy affordability remains a challenge and a priority for the Government. That is why the main work of the affordability task force will continue through the course of this year to look at network charges and a regulatory framework. We also need work at European level in relation to the construct of the European market for electricity and how the Spark app in particular is dealt with. That is a discussion I am having at a European level.

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We are working on them. This has been ongoing for a number of years but since 2023, consultants have been appointed. It is being screened. We are doing a specific piece of work on noise. That is in my Department. We work with the lead Department in relation to the publication of the draft guidelines. This is not passing the buck; it is just a fact that the lead Department is the Department of housing and local government. We are working in conjunction with it. Once the draft guidelines are published, they will be published for public consultation. I want to see an expansion of renewables, which we are seeing, and expansion of wind energy, solar, utilising biomethane and AD and other forms of renewable energy. For clarity's sake and for communities, the guidelines are being updated, need to be updated and will be published in draft form. I cannot give an exact timeframe but work is advanced and nearing completion in that regard. I will respond to the Deputy directly after I consult the Minister, Deputy Browne.

Sentiment score: 0.07