Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Climate change is perhaps the biggest issue facing us and we must recognise the huge moral obligation we all have to take immediate action to minimise future warming and adapt to climatic changes that have already been set in motion by historic levels of emissions of greenhouse gases. Fianna Fáil will support the Microgeneration Support Scheme Bill 2017. Energy production should not be just for the big elite and the big windfarm and the big power generators. It has an important role to play in ensuring active community participation in meeting our climate change targets. There is a strong will among the public, as we saw when 99% of the members of the Citizens' Assembly supported the introduction of legislation to support microgeneration.

A Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government introduced the first scheme to support microgeneration in 2008. To some extent, it set things in motion, but it is disappointing that the structures needed to promote energy citizenship further have seen so little progress since. I acknowledge the pilot scheme introduced in early July. It is a helpful step and it will be important to review it at the end of the year.

There are a number of technical issues with the Bill which we can tease out on Committee Stage. I am assuming it will progress to that Stage. The scale of microgeneration is currently undefined. Community projects have also not been defined to the level required. The Bill defines community projects in terms of the number of households only. Fianna Fáil favours an approach which would see opportunities to have a much more ambitious definition of community. We could develop microgeneration across organisations such as community centres, schools and sports clubs if a broader approach was taken. If successful, it could be used to reduce overheads for community organisations and potentially even generate revenue.

Ireland is at its best at community level. With a payment for microgeneration, communities could develop their own local power plants, from the roof of the local school, community hail and farm shed and become active participants in the energy transformation we so desperately need. Further measures are also required to facilitate microgeneration. They include a systematic review of State-generated costs in the deployment of renewable energy projects, including planning permission, consideration of issues surrounding the use of private wires and further reforms to make it easier for large-scale consumers such as hotels and airports to generate their own electricity.

Ta dushlán mór romhainn maidir le hathrú aeráide agus caithfimid dul i ngleic leis seo gan mhoill. Tá sé soiléir ó na tuairiscí is déanaí nach bhfuil ann ach b'fhéidir thart ar dhosaen bliain le tosú sula mbeidh sé ró-dhéanach. Tá sé soiléir go bhfuil an tacaíocht ann mar tá sé feicthe againn ón dTionól Saoránach agus an slí gur leagadar amach an tacaíocht mhór láidre de 99% díobh. Leag Fianna Fáil agus an Comhaontas Glas scéim síos cheana féin agus ba mhór an trua í nár tógadh uirthi sin ach aithním go mbeidh an scéim phíolóta ann anois i mbliana, ach tá dúshlán romhainn agus caithfear dul i ngleic leis go tapa.

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