Mr. Nicholas Tarrant:

On the future of tariffs overall and the dynamics in the market in general, if one looks at the future of electrification and the electrification of heat and transport then we can expect to have to spend more on networks infrastructure to enable that transition. At a time when one has a drive for customers to use more electricity from the point of view of the electrification of heat and transport and maybe a competing one around more energy efficiency and reducing use the whole shape of tariffs might need to be different. One can expect that there is a potential for changes in the future. As Mr. Duginan mentioned, there is a tariff review process but with the direction of the industry there could be further changes along the way but that is a matter for CRU.

On data centres, for ESB Networks, and it is a similar role for EirGrid but I will just talk about ESB Networks, once we get connection applications we are obliged to connect people to the network whether that is a factory, data centre or an individual house but subject to policy. We did get a direction from the CRU on the connection of data centres that led to the current situation. If one looks at the future of supply and demand, and the amount of electricity needed for data centres over the next decade, on which there has been a lot of commentary, there is also huge potential for offshore renewable electricity through offshore wind. Ireland is in a unique position in Europe because of our island nature and offshore assets but it is a matter for the Government to decide the policy regarding the growth of data centres.