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

I have two questions. I would like to know how a specific issue with microgeneration was resolved. One of the issues was the question of whether someone who is not buying electricity and who is selling onto the grid pays the standing charges related to running the network and how standing charges are shared between those who have the option to sell onto the grid and to buy from it and those who are captive and have to pay for everything. How was that resolved in a fair way?

People will be pleased to know that with the present pressure on supply that ESB Networks is not connecting the new data centres and that data centres will take the slack if there is pressure. I have questions on the longer-term issue of data centres. Am I right in thinking that if we tap into our offshore resource that Ireland is a good place to have data centres? In the short term we may be in difficulties but am I right to say that in the long term it would represent a good use of our offshore resource rather than having to export it or turn it into hydrogen or whatever? Am I right to say that because data centres are in the emissions trading system they are not counted on our inventory as carbon when it comes to effort sharing obligations under EU rules? There is great negativity around data centres but I think there needs to be proportion in this debate. I am interested in hearing how data centres impact on the work done by ESB Networks.