Chairman:

I want to go back to micro-generation to get more clarity around it because we had the Electricity Supply Board, ESB, in here last week and if I recollect correctly it said that it would be more of an issue for EirGrid. I mention the challenges and the timelines around that. The EU renewable energy directive will introduce entitlements to generate, store and sell renewable electricity for renewable self-consumers in Ireland. It is important for us as a committee to understand the challenges of that and the timeline with a view to ensuring that the grid is ready for all of these incoming requirements under that directive. I stand to be corrected about the ESB saying that it could be a matter we could discuss with EirGrid but we need to understand while we have EirGrid here what the challenges might be so that the committee can address those challenges in regard to micro-generation because it was a key recommendation of the Citizens' Assembly.