Mr. Paddy Phelan:

If we step back out from the energy supply element of this, focus back in on the Act and go back to the Senator's question about grants and supports, and I mentioned price competitiveness around energy earlier, the understanding in procuring energy supply or technologies from which to generate energy supply, is history would say the cheapest price wins.

A key element to this Act is enabling industry to accelerate its path to net zero. That is not just the energy industry in my reading, or it is certainly a missed opportunity if we just look at the energy industry. If we look at all manufacturing and all industry and think about the opportunity if Ireland can accelerate its own island indigenous supply, then what industry would it attract in the future by virtue of helping that industry to decarbonising its existing processes by having a net zero carbon energy supply? That is a key point to understand and address within this Act. It is not just the energy sector and its listing elements there but ultimately it is the end user if we accelerate and decarbonise, and I do believe we have some very strong policy around electricity. Ms Maria Donnelly, former chair of Renewable Energy Ireland, said that the stained glass windows we will have in terms of our energy mix in 2030 and 2050 will have many elements within it across all of the renewable technologies. Fundamentally, if we can accelerate to decarbonisation of our energy system across all vectors, incentives and grants should be provided to those industries that are prepared to pay extra to support supply chain development until such time as it becomes the norm. There is potentially an opportunity to attract foreign direct investment and manufacturing technolgies to this country within the context of the wider Europe attracting back some industries from Asia and other areas where they are currently concentrated. It is important to consider it in that context and not just the energy piece.