Mr. Mark Foley:

Deputy Cronin talked about how energy is an essential service and that maybe there is some confusion around what is out there. The Shaping Our Electricity Future programme gives a really clear roadmap. For the first time ever, we have real clarity about what 2030 will look like in respect of technologies, locations and consumers - the whole picture is presented there. That is our guiding roadmap for the future transition of the power system to one that can handle and will deliver 80% of electricity from renewable sources. We have got that clarity now. It is incumbent on all stakeholders to work to deliver that. There is no confusion about this; it is really clear. I would encourage everybody to get behind Shaping Our Electricity Future. It has that clarity.

The Deputy mentioned public communities. Developers of projects like onshore and offshore wind farms etc. and ourselves have done huge work around communities in the last number of years. The money we are prepared to put back into communities to give them a stake in the transition is really quite phenomenal. Second, our willingness to listen to their views about our projects is at a level we would not have dreamed of ten years ago. The communities are very much engaged but there is clearly more that can and should be done. I refer to both the offering financially and the willingness to listen to the views of communities. We have walked the walk on this in the last two years in terms of some of the projects, which are very advanced. They are going into planning with community support because we listened to what the communities said to us. That will be the roadmap for the future - listen and then give back to communities. That is my answer to Deputy Cronin.

Mr. Doyle will answer on the energy security matter raised by Deputy Devlin, particularly about the market participants. Let me answer his other two questions. Regarding gas as a transitional fuel post 2030, the answer is "Yes". We will need gas well into the next decade. I cannot tell the Deputy whether it will be 2035 or 2038 but gas is vital. It is really important that Ireland secures its source of gas in order to see us to the Holy Grail, ultimately, of 100% renewables.

The Deputy asked a third question about technology and price. We got from zero to 40% renewables on the power system in 2020 with no increase in the wholesale price of electricity. That is a fact and a matter of public record. My view is that we can get the 2030 ambition. I believe we can do the same again. Nobody has a crystal ball on this but I think that with technology and competition, wholesale prices of electricity will stay there or thereabouts and we will take away the horrible volatility we are experiencing today with gas prices. The signs are very good in that regard.