Ms Laura Behan:

Senator Brennan had a question about the high costs of investment with alternative energies and it is undoubtedly true that there are high initial costs, particularly when infrastructure has not been in place before. It is also the case that they tend to be cheaper to operate in the longer term. It is a case of managing the issue of getting over the initial high investment costs to allow the likes of wind energy to be used through electric vehicles, which could recharge using wind energy at night. It is a good fit and that would be a cheap source of fuel for vehicles. Initial investment costs would need to be overcome and how those costs would be borne by the Irish taxpayer or consumer of energy must be worked out in the development of this directive.