Mr. Denis O'Leary:

That is a very interesting question. If one looks at the challenges faced by the ESB up to 2030, it is not only than the 70% target for renewable generation but also that we may have to connect over 500,000 new homes in the same period. In the context of the climate action fund the Government launched last week, reference has been made to retrofitting up to 400,000 homes in the same period and providing the charging infrastructure for 300,000 electric vehicles. Members will be aware from media reports of the challenges we face in terms of supplying energy to the data centres that are trying to locate operations in Ireland. Given the very strong inflow of foreign direct investment, we notice the degree of the electricity service, both in its speed and quantity, increases as we go along. These are just the issues in terms of delivering our key strategy, A Brighter Future, and supporting the Government.

It is two years since the ESB withdrew from the process. We have not done any work on it in over two years and things have moved on, so we consider that to be a hypothetical situation.