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

On district heating, does it make sense that Gas Networks Ireland, GNI, would become the entity that would manage district heating? This company is good at digging trenches and laying pipes, which we will need to develop dense district heating networks in urban areas. Is that being considered? It seems to make sense.

We are talking about changing the mandates of these State entities. It seems like there is one there that might be changed quite positively and away from fossil fuels. I would be interested to get the take of the witnesses on that. I have just a few questions. I do not want to keep us here too much longer as it is late.

Ms Donnelly wrote to us. I thank her very much for her correspondence from about a month ago, on 16 October, to the committee. She said that the regulator should direct GNI not to sign any more contracts to connect data centres to the gas network, where the data centre would be powered mainly by on-site fossil fuel generation. She also stated that if there is a legislative barrier, the Government should take immediate action to revise the gas Act. That Act is being revised; the deadline for amendments is on Friday. As legislators, do we know exactly what needs to be done? I am sure Ms Donnelly is in constant communication with the Department but there is a broader piece for the Legislature, beyond the Department and the Ministers, to know what needs to be done. This is related to the communications piece as well. We have a role in communicating what needs to change vis-à-visour legislation and putting pressure on the Government to drive those changes. I am very interested to hear more detail on that and, since we have both organisations in the same room, I would like to hear from the CRU on this issue as well.