Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Thank you very much, Professor Mathiesen, for a very interesting presentation. I ask members to indicate to ask questions and the Clerk will take a list.

I will go first and I direct this question to Ms Murphy or Dr. Connolly. Dr. Connolly mentioned that it is impossible to apply for a licence to put a thermal grid in the ground. We are reviewing the Planning and Development Act at the moment. Has this issue been broached? Is this the opportunity to make provision in that Act?

My second point is addressed to all of the speakers. We have the challenge of matching power generation with supply. We also have the challenge of new housing and whether we design for heat pumps or for district heating. I spoke to Dr. Connolly before the meeting commenced and up until then it was my impression that the generation needed to be near the demand. However, from our conversation the impression I got was that the heat can travel quite a few kilometres.

Professor Mathiesen said that locating heat-generation demand was important. Maybe we should clarify the potential and the technical challenges in transporting heat too.