Dr. Eimear Cotter:

To add to the comments about engaging communities, SEAI has been successful in funding over 250 communities in our better energy communities programme. This is mainly focused on energy efficiency. When we talk about energy policy we tend to focus first on renewables, but looking at the energy we use and reducing it as much as possible in the first place is the way we would like to see this happen, so we reduce our energy use and then ensure that what energy we use is clean. We have had success with over 250 communities around the country. We have seen what can happen when communities get together, with support and funding from SEAI, to deliver real action in homes and businesses. With regard to moving that on, that gets the community involved and thinking about their energy use. That sets the ground for considering what to do in terms of renewables, which is another related problem, as it were, but must also be tackled. We are doing some work in the coming months, on behalf of the Department, to examine the different models we have discussed here for how to engage communities in renewable energy projects, be that a benefit fund that they can avail of or opportunities to invest in renewable projects which will take many different forms, and also how to engage communities from the beginning and through the planning stage rather than imposing solutions when, really, it is too late.