Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy Bruton's sentiments regarding the officials here. People should realise that in managing this issue or crisis but also in having managed the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit, public servants across the board have been through a series of crisis management periods. We should not ignore the fact their work in that regard has been incredibly stressful and pressurised, so it is appreciated.

Returning to the Deputy's second point about not wasting a crisis, as per Rahm Emanuel, the Deputy is right to focus on energy efficiency because it is the cheapest first tool in reducing people's bills. I agree it is down to the most simple and basic things, such as the insulation of homes and availing of that 80% grant if someone does not have sufficient attic insulation and cavity wall insulation. It is not going to solve all the problems but it might reduce energy use by some 25%. That is not insignificant at a time when energy prices and bills may increase fourfold.

If I was looking at another system change we could do at the moment, I would look at rolling out those smart meters as fast as we can but also being advanced as a country in terms of switching everything on and off and having really good time-of-day pricing. It is a win-win in the sense it helps protect the system security, using power late at night when we do not have the same constraint or curtailment issues, but also it reduces the bill. That is the real benefit from it.

The idea we could have good data and electronic management so that devices are easily programmed is one of the other system changes coming out of this that could have huge long-term as well as immediate benefits. There are two pieces of legislation that are centre stage. The European Union is in the middle of its legislative process with the energy efficiency directive and the renewables directive, and it is implementing those at the greatest speed. That sets the guideline towards a circular, energy-efficient economy, and that is what we need to deliver. We need to deliver the legislation and the mechanisms in record time.