2026-04-23

I will give a little context in advance. It is in the same vein as Deputy Daly’s Topical Issue in relation to the cost of living. The current electricity pricing is between 28 cent and 37 cent per kilowatt hour, including VAT, and the night time rate is 14 cent. If we take an average annual consumption of 4,200 kilowatt hour, that works out at about an average of €1,700 per annum, equating to €142 per month. However, I think every Member of this House and every consumer outside this complex is well aware that in many cases, the prices are approximately 50% higher and at least €200 per month and upwards. The majority of our renewable energy is now wind derived but solar renewable energy is fast on the catch-up. In the past five years, my home county of Meath has nearly become the solar renewable energy capital. It is probably on a par with Cork. It is certainly is well up there. Areas such as Batterstown, Culmullen, Duleek, Kilbride, Ratoath, Kells and Kentstown either have solar developments planning approved or pending with gas peaking plants and battery storage facilities at planning phase or some point along the line. I have some concerns which have been reiterated to me by residents. The first is the absence of the second land use review. Then there is the solar development guidelines. Currently, planners have no reason to refuse a valid planning application but the residents are very concerned about a number of things, including the food producing integrity of these soils; the impact on visual amenity and heritage of these commercial developments and most recently; and, most importantly, their personal community and business concerns about the price of energy given that it is now majority renewable energy. We know from EnergyCloud that there is a surplus of renewable energy. Its report for 13 months to 31 January shows there is an availability of approximately 1,500 GW, which equates to €559 million of monetary value that could be redistributed. The Minister of State might ask where I am going with all of this but hopefully it will make sense. I will factor in the Irish Grain Growers group. It has flagged the availability of tillage land with me over the past two to three years. That is land its members would have leased for native local grain growing and food production. That land availability is diminishing because that land is being sold and leased for solar energy production. In those areas I have highlighted, there has been a pattern of leases being sold on after planning or after the renewable energy auctions. If you are trying to compile a risk benefit or take a cost benefit analysis approach, in a time of severe grid fragility and price volatility, what impact, if any, the transfer of leases from solar development may have on the price of renewable energy for domestic consumers if we take that gap between the average energy price and the real energy price?

I thank Deputy Toole for her forensic Topical Issue. I appreciate the detail and I will endeavour to respond as best I can on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O’Brien. Ireland’s energy security has moved from being a long-term ambition to becoming one of the most pressing challenges facing our country. I think back to the formation of the Common Agricultural Policy which was based on the basic need that Europe did not starve again. We are now in a situation where the basic need is that we cannot allow the lights to go out again in Europe because recent geopolitical tensions and volatility in global energy markets have proven that energy security is not just an environmental issue but it is essential for delivering long-term energy security and price stability for Irish households and businesses. It is now more important than ever that we reduce Ireland’s exposure to imported fossil fuel price shocks. The programme for Government has reaffirmed Ireland’s targets of 80% of electricity demand to be met by renewables in the near term with plans to move to net zero by 2050. We are fortunate here in Ireland to have extraordinary renewable energy resources. Our wind is among the strongest in Europe. Our solar sector is growing at speed, particularly in County Meath but, indeed, beyond, and it is already the third highest share of electricity generation for the country. Ireland currently has over 8 GW of renewable electricity generation capacity connected to the network, a remarkable achievement as it means we have added approximately 5 GW of new renewable energy generation capacity in just ten years, including doubling our wind capacity and establishing solar energy as a major pillar of our energy supply. In a few short years, solar has become a major component of our electricity supply. Solar is now the third-highest supplier of indigenously generated electricity, behind natural gas and wind, to the electricity grid. Solar is not only reducing electricity bills for households and businesses but it is also easing pressure on the grid by lowering peak demand and supporting a more resilient energy system. The accelerated deployment of both rooftop solar and solar farms is a critical part of meeting the Government’s commitment to deliver 80% of Ireland’s electricity demand from renewable energy sources in the near term, including 8 GW of solar energy alone. The design of our renewable electricity support scheme auctions ensures that the new renewables capacity is delivered in as cost effective and competitive a manner as possible. Solar has featured strongly in each scheme auction to date delivering real benefits to Ireland’s electricity network and Irish electricity consumers. Indeed, at times of high electricity prices the two-way scheme design ensures consumers benefit directly from the claw back of any revenue in excess of scheme strike prices. For the 2025-2026 PSO levy year, it is expected that over €11 million will be returned to Irish electricity consumers via the PSO levy as a result of operational scheme projects. It is worth noting that all renewable electricity developments are subject to careful independent scrutiny at the planning application stage by the relevant planning authority when reaching a decision on an individual planning application. Operational functions of the planning system, including the process of planning applications are, of course, a matter for the relevant planning authority. The points made by Deputy Toole are particularly relevant and I will be more than happy to bring them directly to the Minister, Deputy O’Brien.

I thank the Minister of State. I always say here that every day is a school day. The €11 million PSO levy being returned is most welcome. I do not wish to be cheeky but I would welcome a response from the Minister of State on whether the transfer of leases has or does not have an impact on price? I appreciate that the Minister of State is deputising. I highlighted the average price versus the real price and the gap in the middle. I know the patterns in my area. In one instance, a farm was bought by a business person on the open market, and there was no problem there. The planning application was successful. Post-planning the parcel of land was sold on with a margin. I am not naïve in that my background is small business and margin is critically important. However, if you add a margin at various stages which, to the best of my knowledge, do not have a safeguard or control, you could end up with the retail price at the end having that factored in. For something as essential as energy, that is something that really needs to be looked into. Again, I would draw attention to the EnergyCloud report for the 13 months where there is €550 million of spare renewable energy that would be most welcome to those 330,000-odd households which are in energy arrears. That should be investigated. There should also be an investigation into where that differential may arise.

I thank Deputy Toole and the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to provide a response to the overarching points the Deputy made and the wider context of domestic renewable electricity generation, the substantial progress that has been made, and the opportunities to further improve the transition to renewable energy to make sure it is not just a climate imperative but is central to our energy security and, indeed, our economic development. I fundamentally believe that we are making crucial investments in renewable energy, our electricity grid and, importantly, in energy efficiency. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East and, indeed, the continuing conflict in Ukraine underline again why we must accelerate the deployment of renewables, strengthen our grid and retrofit homes and businesses. The real issue raised by Deputy Toole about the transfer of leases is key. We have to provide that level of confidence in the system, not only for the consumer but also for those who are prepared to engage in this process to make sure there is balance and affordability. I undertake to write to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, on the Deputy's behalf to see if we can get a specific deputation meeting on this issue. Perhaps it might be more pertinent for oral parliamentary questions in the next round. Hopefully, the wider information will provide a good grounding for further discussion on this key area, which I am grateful to the Deputy for raising.