Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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ESB profits are shared out in a variety of ways. That happens, for example, through dividends to the State. The ESB has a critical role in the roll-out of new renewable generation, which is how we will reduce our dependence on Russian fossil fuels. It also has a critical role in the building out of the distribution grid, the smart metering network and the energy efficiency measures that we need to deliver. ESB has a massive capital programme and its profits in comparison with that are actually very small. The ESB recently launched a new company strategy with ten core objectives which were hugely ambitious and to the benefit of the Irish people. Its ability to invest in that plan is critical to our energy security and climate ambition. It is also crucial in helping to shield householders. The smart metering programme, for example, would allow us to introduce time-of-day pricing and so on so customers can start saving money by using power when the wind is blowing and energy is cheap rather than at peak times. We need to strengthen and support ESB's ability to invest. Most of the other energy companies are private. Bord na Móna is doing a remarkable job of transforming from brown to green. It has an enormous investment programme, particularly in renewable generation, that is showing real success.

I see our semi-State companies, in addition to other operators in the market, as having a role in helping us out of this crisis rather than being the cause of it. The cause of it is Mr. Putin.