Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentation and kind words. The committee has been very strong in wanting to double the ambition we set out in the climate action plan, which is welcome. I see the witnesses are talking about moving to in excess of 85% capacity for wind on the grid. There is a dilemma for both politicians and the witnesses. We all want more but, as we have seen with housing, it is often politicians themselves who, having declared a housing emergency, want to block each individual case and want every piece of a case heard. We need to find a better way of doing this, and that is not to criticise politicians who feel frustrated, because I know that happens. If we find that every case is going to be pursued by a group of politicians or judicial reviews, we will never get this done and we are wasting our time declaring an ambition of 51%. Are there international examples of how this is being done better that we could draw upon? Who has done this work very quickly, as we now need to do?

Did the witnesses comment on the backup they need for wind energy generation? I know the wind does not always blow. What is their view of the backup in the short and medium term? Are they considering battery technology as an integral part of some of their investment?

What is the scale of capital, do the witnesses reckon, that needs to be mobilised to get the grid infrastructure and wind capacity built?

How much capital do we need to mobilise? Can we find a better way to mobilise that quickly for the grid? Are there obstacles in the way of wind energy in Ireland? I have heard some criticism that there is a bit of gold-plating on the type of infrastructure being put in which is making it more expensive to deliver wind energy projects quickly.