Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I reiterate that the ESB submission to which the Deputies referred will be considered, together with all of the other submissions received as part of the consultation process, and will contribute to the develop of a new energy policy for Ireland.

It is important to understand ESB and EirGrid are fully in agreement on the need for critical energy infrastructure, including both transmission and distribution infrastructure.

It is important to recall also the projections for demand changed and the extent to which they did change between 2008 and 2011 and this work has been taken into account. One of the Deputies used the phrase "demand at present." Demand is a dynamic. We can look at the years 2008, 2011 and 2014. The challenge is to project forward three, seven and ten years to try to predict as best we can what the demand will be in these years. We cannot do this on the basis of what we had in 2008, nor can we be definitive today about what our requirements will be in five years time. The dynamic in the projection agenda must be borne in mind. We must ensure the infrastructure is provided, but we must also ensure we engage in a better way than heretofore with communities and citizens. Our energy policy is not just the energy policy for industry or the political system; it is also the energy policy for the entire community and the people. For that reason, I encourage people to participate in the debate. I thank the Deputies for raising the issue.

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