Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

We are planning the roll-out of smart meters nationally. These meters are a tool that put the control of electricity demand directly into the hands of consumers. They will provide consumers with a means of monitoring and managing their demand. The programme also has the potential to change significantly the way in which many of the activities of the energy supply are undertaken, therefore improving the efficiency with which energy is produced, transported and used. Smart meters have been a wonderful success as those who have used them would agree.

The roll-out of a national smart meter programme is progressing in line with the commitment in the Government's energy policy framework and in the programme for Government. A pilot phase, involving the installation of 20,000 smart meters, is already under way and is expected to be completed by the end of 2010. The pilot phase will also test the capability of advanced meters to distinguish between the import and export of electricity. This capacity will facilitate the development of micro-generation, where consumers are able to generate their own electricity and even to sell their surplus electricity back to the grid. This measure has enormous potential for changing the relationship between electricity supplier and customer, as innovative new products and tariffs are facilitated and supplier switching becomes commonplace. Smart metering makes sense and saves energy and money.

The Opposition has reflected the legitimate concerns of enterprise about energy costs, but we all share those concerns. All our efforts are focused on trying to reduce energy costs, whether for business or households. However, I share the concern of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, that ill-warranted Government interventions in the market could hinder rather than promote reform and undermine investor confidence in the energy market at this time.

Ultimately, it is only a transparent and a credible energy regulatory and policy regime that can deliver the effective changes and energy competitiveness that we need to drive down our electricity costs. The imposition of artificial prices for energy simply means putting off until tomorrow the bills that we should be paying today. This runs counter to the plans announced earlier today by the Taoiseach, which aim to place our economy on a sound footing.

As Members said earlier, we are an island nation with a 90% dependency on imported energy. This is something that cannot continue. For that reason we have been engaging with the private sector and investing our own money in seeking alternatives. We have made great strides in recent years, particularly with regard to wind-generated electricity. We will continue to see this area develop. Our dependence on fossil fuels cannot be tolerated much longer and we must continue to provide incentives to people to develop alternatives. The time has come for cleaner energy.

I compliment Deputy Coveney on the contribution he has made in this area, which has long been neglected in this country and has not got the priority it deserves. We now realise the importance of this area and I thank the Deputy for giving us all the opportunity to speak on the subject this evening.

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