Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is facing reality. The alternatives we are talking about are solar and wind farms, in particular. Especially in the middle of the summer, there may be no wind. There might be sun. No matter what kind of system is put in place, there will be times, perhaps based on seasonal factors, when we will be short of energy because the turbines will not be turning. We still have to have an alternative, such as fossil fuels, including diesel or coal. For what percentage of the year can we depend on renewables? When will we have to go back to the system we have in place now? Are there statistics on that?