Dr. Paddy Finn:

I welcome the comments. On Deputy Bríd Smith’s comment, I feel very privileged to work in an industry in which, when I meet colleagues representing other technology types, we look consistently towards the best outcome or solution. In no room I have ever been in has anybody tried to champion his or her technology type only. We have wanted to achieve the lowest-cost solution for decarbonisation.

Regarding Deputy Bruton’s question, an answer would take considerably more time than we have. There is no energy payment for demand response, for example. As it is utilised, it does not get paid. The more it is utilised, the more it costs participating customers, which is a counter-incentive to participation. It clearly does not make good business sense, so it needs to be addressed.

With regard to the characteristics of the electricity system and what is being procured, an analogy is the best way to show where we are. When new services, DS3 system services, are being procured, the mind is always focused on how one is used to doing things. If we were looking for a mode of transport with two pedals, EirGrid, being used to driving a car, might specify that the pedals need to be an accelerator and a brake and ultimately preclude bicycles. That is possibly where demand response finds itself in that the characteristics being sought need to be more granularly specified in terms of what is being looked for rather than what one is used to.