David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend my colleague, Deputy Stanley, on proposing this Bill which I hope the Government will support. It is about making the transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy which must take place as a matter of urgency. The legislation proposes to allow small-scale household production of electricity through solar or wind energy. It provides that excess electricity produced by microgenerators, whether households or farms, may be fed into the grid and for households to be paid for it, which is currently not provided for.

This State is lagging far behind other countries on this issue. Why are we not harnessing and utilising solar power from rooftops and small-scale wind and other sources? The Bill aims to grow the renewable energy sector and add more renewable energy sources, thus enabling citizens to play their part in expanding the sector. It is essential that households and communities are part of our switch to renewable energy. They should not be used as a source of tax or a levy to support the switch from fossil fuels. They must be allowed to become active participants. The Government’s solution to everything, whether in health, housing, infrastructure or climate change, is to throw a tax break at the issue and hope for the best. This shows the complete lack of vision or ambition on the Government benches that the problems of the world can be sorted through the tax code rather than investment. Its approach is not working in respect of the housing crisis and it will not work in the renewable sector.

We must broaden the types of renewable energy we have, while also broadening ownership to allow for the involvement of citizens. In Germany, 31.5% of renewable energy capacity is owned by private persons, of whom 10.5% are farmers. The costs of renewable sources such as solar have declined dramatically in recent years, making it more feasible for a greater number of people to produce their own energy. If we are to take climate change and job creation seriously, increase security of supply and allow ordinary householders to play their part, we must urgently use all available resources. It is essential that the potential of home-generated electricity provided for in this legislation is advanced. I appeal to the Government and all parties in the House to support the Bill. The Taoiseach and others on the Government benches often accuse Sinn Féin of not bringing forward solutions. Last week, we brought forward a solution on a planning matter that impacts on people in rural Ireland and in this Bill we are proposing a solution in the area of renewable energy that incentivises people to become involved in its production. It is up to the Government to take these proposals on board and act on them.

We are trying to provide an environmental and economic solution to global warming. The effects of climate change will most likely result in warmer summers and wetter winters, something that we saw today and will see again tomorrow. Studies by Met Éireann show that increases in world temperatures will mean more flooding in coastal areas and rivers, as people living in Dublin, Arklow, Wexford, Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Galway will testify. We need to create a climate of change to halt global warming and this Bill, in a small way, will play its part in doing that. It is a highly practical Bill that proposes a necessary approach to a problem that affects us all. I commend its author and also commend the Government on supporting it.

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