Mr. Jim Gannon:

I apologise that I was not quite clear enough in the response. I am happy to go into it in further detail. What I was trying to articulate was that, in the shorter term, where there has not been centralised planning in place, to imagine the infrastructure that will be required for a portfolio of wind farms and perhaps hybrid connections to other jurisdictions, it is appropriate to look at a project-by-project investment basis. That is probably the best way of securing what is in the programme for Government, which is 5 GW. We tackle project by project to ensure we have the appropriate investment for each project.

In the longer term, where it is centrally planned and we have a better idea of what that portfolio will look like, there should be a significant jump to further investment. We can show we are open for business by planning in a central way. In that way we can then access the most cost-effective investment options for the infrastructure we require. What I am trying to describe is how there are in effect two parallel approaches. We deliver on a project-by-project basis now. This is what industry is used to in Ireland and what the infrastructure is used to in Ireland in terms of the soft and hard infrastructure. However, as we look to the second jump, we want to ensure it is planned centrally and accessed as an investment cost-effectively. I am not saying there would not be any anticipatory investment but I believe central planning allows us to look at that. That includes the question of how that cost would be amortised in terms of the regulatory framework, which will underpin the policy framework. Would it be through transmission use-of-system charges or would it be through other means? That part of the regulatory framework would follow. It is a consideration.

What sort of investment platform in terms of soft infrastructure or hard infrastructure do we need to put in place to show our ambition? We need to ensure those costs are attributable, attributed and amortised appropriately. That is part of centralised planning while we continue to deliver to ensure we meet the 2030 ambitions we have set. What I am saying is it has not been determined yet but I believe a clear pathway has been set out in terms of moving towards a centralised model.