Mr. Dave Linehan:

Deputy Daly asked specifically about how we can reduce costs. Once a project has planning consent and its grid connection, it needs to go into an auction. Every year the Department runs a renewable energy support scheme auction where projects compete. They enter the auction and then the best value projects are cleared and they are offered contracts over a 15-year period as it stands at present. Every year the Government consults on the terms and conditions for these auctions. Every auction design is slightly different as are their terms and conditions. Every year we submit detailed responses to the Department on how it can evolve the auction designs to try to make them more competitive and try to increase volume. More volume means more competition and lower price. Once we clear the planning hurdles, which as Mr. Cunniffe mentioned earlier are starting to come through, and once we get the grid connection regime working, it will be about how to make changes in the auction design itself so the best value and best projects are cleared. A very simple measure could be, for example, increasing the tenure of support from the current 15 years to 20 years, as we saw in the offshore auction. There are small changes that can be made in the auction design itself. We will be covering these in the rerun of the saving money report in the coming months.