Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I take on board all of those ideas. I assure the Deputy that the more resources I can get for this, the better. I will seek to obtain as much support as possible in respect of these initiatives and I believe the Government has been supportive.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland is the body that leads and directs in this area. I encourage Deputy Boyd Barrett to engage with the authority, perhaps through me. The authority is keen to ensure that there are community supports. Many have been put in place, but we can increase the total. This can be done from a substantive point of view in terms of what the local projects can achieve for their localities.

The broader point that the Deputy makes is fair, and others have made it in this House as well. The development of energy and community buy-in is something all the citizens of the country have a stake in. "Buy-in" is the phrase that is often used. The idea is that we work together as a community to work out what our energy needs are for the future and what the various mix of energy sources should be.

I do not disagree with the Deputy, save to say that it is not true to suggest that there have been no developments. There have been a number of developments and I am keen to see more, just as he is.

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