Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A motion on my area of responsibility will be taken in the Seanad at 5.30 p.m. and I have no option but to leave. I will read the responses to my question in the Official Report. It is a pity that is how it worked out. I had asked about microgeneration and wind energy. The areas the North-South interconnector will pass through are Monaghan, north Meath and part of Cavan. The people affected are collectively of the view that it should be undergrounded. EirGrid's response is that if it is undergrounded, it will be less accessible for alternative energy, notably wind energy. Do any of the witnesses want to respond to that point? How could we reconcile the two conflicting issues given the overwhelming public meetings taking place to demand undergrounding? There have been suggestions of civil disobedience if the interconnector is routed overground.

The co-operative movement at the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century was transformative for Ireland. The potential of co-operative movements such as the credit unions and ordinary co-ops to deal with the alternative energy question needs exploration and should be supported by Government. There should be support for communities coming together to produce alternative energy as a collective, generating their own energy and becoming self-sufficient.

On education, I do not have empirical evidence and do not see much anecdotal evidence of third level, post-leaving certificate education in the areas of alternative energy and decarbonisation. I am aware of some courses in Dundalk Institute of Technology but am not aware of any effort across the board at third level to get these courses in. They would generate jobs, interest and community activity.

It would be interesting to do the figures on the potential fines if we do not reach targets and to see what the money spent on fines would achieve if used to support green energy and avoid missing the targets. If those figures could be put into some marketable, presentable form I think there would be buy-in. To what degree would the potential fines mitigate the problem in the first place?

I thank the witnesses for their time. I will read the answers with interest.