Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their very good presentations. Who drives the system in Denmark? Is it local authorities taking a block-by-block area? Do they pick areas that have the potential density and relatively low retrofitting costs and build it up in blocks? How does it relate to mixed ownership, that is, public ownership versus private ownership? I presume there is a significant cost to connection to the individual home even after the spine of the system has been laid. Who pays for that sort of thing? If a system is not planned with that in mind, does it become a much bigger obstacle when retrofitting? It seems most of our stuff would have to be retrofitted.

I ask Professor Mathiesen to clarify his remarks on heat pumps. Is he saying we are anticipating too great a role for heat pumps coming off the electricity grid? I did not understand the point he made in respect of our approach to heat pumps.