James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

He also referred to meeting Ireland's renewable targets by 2020 but that is a joke. People are hanging on by their fingernails in business and they cannot wait until 2020 for a 15% reduction in energy costs.

I commend Deputy Coveney's timely motion on energy prices. Domestic households and businesses are burdened with some of the highest prices in the EU for electricity and gas. Energy costs are a key component of economic competitiveness and Ireland's ability to develop and attract new business is hampered by high energy costs. Energy is a key factor in the horticulture industry in north County Dublin where our indigenous tomato growing industry has been decimated by high energy costs.

However, I compliment Country Crest Foods, a progressive food company based near Lusk in north County Dublin, which is installing wind turbines at its food processing facility. Ireland needs to encourage and foster such a progressive independent food company ethos into the future. This company is always looking forward for new markets and opportunities, while embracing up to date cost saving measures like wind energy. However, the company's zeal is unmatched by this lethargic Government and its regulators who are not reacting quickly enough to the downward changes in oil prices.

The motion is important because it seeks to achieve immediate reductions for business and householders of 20% from the ESB but also because it is imperative that the Minister transfers the transmission assets to EirGrid from the ESB as soon as possible. This is critical to allow independent energy producers access to the grid. The current ridiculous position is akin to us owning through EirGrid the main sewer pipes while the ESB continues to own the ransom strip between the sewer pipe and the house, which is a farce. This is totally unsustainable and untenable.

We need to think like our European neighbours where the production of even small amounts of electricity are encouraged and meters installed in order that they can feed back into the grid. This would encourage people to invest in photovoltaic systems and small wind turbines in order that we could have a network throughout the country boosting our energy supplies.

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