83. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the steps he is taking to eliminate the risk of electricity blackouts due to risk to grid stability that is posed by data centres (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26187/26]
Sentiment score: -0.08
EirGrid, the national grid operator, has issued a stark warning that blackouts are almost certainly on the cards because of the negligence of the Government. It is not the first time; it has been making these warnings for ten years and Governments have refused to listen. The red carpet is being rolled out for data centres, yet we cannot build houses or connect public transport. We are told the lights could go out. What steps is the Minister taking to eliminate any risk of blackouts due to the threat to grid stability posed by data centres?
Sentiment score: -0.25
I see what the Minister is saying, but will there be a prioritisation framework so, for example, housing and public transport can be prioritised ahead of data centres? It is one third of our electricity and it is predicted to go much higher. It is already causing grid interventions and higher household bills. In the midlands in particular, it is preventing housing being built. Data centre demand has skyrocketed and gone out of control. It could not have been anticipated five or six years ago how high it would go - up by over 500%. EirGrid has been concerned about it and has introduced new emergency protocols. The risks to the economy are more than that. There are risks to economic stability and to societal trust, in that ordinary people see the percentage of the bills they are paying and see proportionally lesser charges being paid by data centres.
Sentiment score: -0.09
The Construction Industry Federation has said housing delivery is being held back by significant delays in electricity connections. Last year, while 60,000 homes were commenced, completions remained far below what is needed. The Minister is saying housing is a national priority but the energy policy allowed massive developments to absorb grid capacity first. We are not, contrary to what the Minister says, anti-tech or anti-business. It is about sequencing, fairness and priorities. The data centres can wait for their connections; housing and families cannot. Homes must come before hyper-scale electricity demand from the large energy users. The bottom line is this. Housing is not failing because builders cannot build, but there is a threat to it. What specifically is the Minister doing to prevent that?
Sentiment score: 0.02
85. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the steps he is taking to shield households from the energy crisis triggered by the US and Israeli attack on Iran; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26188/26]
Sentiment score: -0.20
What steps is the Minister taking to shield households from the energy crisis, which has been triggered by the US and Israeli attacks on Iran? Will he make a statement about it? He will have seen that over the past couple of weeks, the Government lost the confidence of the people, even one of its own Ministers. The Government has not done enough, particularly for people whose home heating oil bills have effectively been doubled. There are 750,000 households affected, often in rural areas, often in single dwellings, and often with older people. What are they supposed to make of the Taoiseach saying he hopes they will have a good summer while the cost of filling their tank has nearly doubled?
Sentiment score: 0.09
We saw yesterday the Taoiseach clapping himself on the back because, since 2022, the worst of the rises in electricity bills had been cushioned by supports given by the Government. In this regard, there were electricity credits promised in the run-up to the election. However, the supports have been stripped away, leaving ordinary householders even more exposed. Compounding matters was the dismissive attitude of the Taoiseach. The Minister may or may not wish to comment on the Taoiseach’s comment that he hopes there is a good summer ahead for people. Would the Minister consider removing the excise duty on home heating oil, decreasing it by €200 per tank, and introducing more concrete measures to deal with what is effectively a doubling in price, particularly for people in rural areas? We are already paying the highest electricity prices in the EU. There has been a failure by the Government to deal with this. Electricity credits have been stripped away and the response does not go far enough.
Sentiment score: 0.15
Unfortunately, last time I checked it was oral questions to the Minister and not questions for the Opposition. Unfortunately, the Minister has not dealt with my questions. That he answered a question with a question makes me wonder whether he is from Kerry, by any chance. He has not answered any of the questions we have asked. What specifically will he do to ease the burden on rural householders posed by the price of home heating oil? The protests over the last week are the tipping point. They are the final straw for people who are already struggling from week to week, often in households with dual incomes. I have spoken to a lot of people who have been working in farming or in factories. Their partners might also be working, maybe in the HSE, but those people are struggling and unfortunately the measures have not been enough. The package the Minister spoke about was half baked and was not complete. It did nothing, and the people's response will show that it did nothing to address the matter.
Sentiment score: -0.18