Mr. Nicholas Tarrant:

I will select a few points from our opening statement. We welcome the opportunity to speak to the committee today on ESB Networks' role in an issue of paramount importance to Members of the Oireachtas, their constituents, our customers and all of us in ESB Networks, that of housing delivery, services and supply. The role of ESB Networks is to design, build, own, operate and maintain the electricity distribution network and, as transmission system owner, to design, build, own and maintain the onshore transmission network on which we work in close co-operation with EirGrid, which is the transmission system operator.

There is approximately 180,000 km of network across Ireland. In 2024, our capital investment programme was approximately €1.1 billion across all of our work programmes, including network connections. This is part of an overall €5 billion programme under price review 5, which is coming to an end at the end of this year. We have been growing our workforce internally and externally, through our contract partners. Electricity demand has continued to rise sharply, driven by population growth, industrial development and accelerated electrification targets, set out in the climate action plan. From 2021 to May 2025, we connected more than 161,000 new homes, farms and businesses. The figure for January to May of this year exceeded the same period last year and the previous number of years in price review 5.

To meet the rapidly growing electricity demand in all sectors, including housing, the electricity network must undergo a transformative step-change in development. Under price review 6, ESB Networks, together with EirGrid, has proposed a €13.4 billion capital investment programme for the period 2026 to 2030. This is a critical programme of work to support our growing economy, increase housing connections and help Ireland achieve its climate action goals.

ESB Networks remains firmly committed to supporting the Government's housing and climate objectives, enabling the delivery of the NDP and accelerating Ireland's transition to a low-carbon future. We continue to facilitate electricity connections across all sectors, including housing, business and agriculture, in order to drive economic growth. Due to rapidly increasing electricity demand and global supply chain constraints, certain areas of our network are experiencing limited capacity. These challenges have been addressed in our price review 6 business plan, which includes the necessary infrastructure upgrades.