Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Tánaiste for his response. The reality is that €38 is being wasted in lost operational capacity for every single family in this country, who will be paying for it through their electricity bills. There are also the demolition costs of the two power plants and the replacement electricity reinforcement costs. All of those costs will be footed by families throughout the country.

There are three separate power generation proposals of which I am aware, including the conversion of the power plants to hydrogen fuel power. That would be the first in the world if it were to happen.

We have seen the mistakes that were made in the past with the demolition of our two sugar plants in Mallow and Carlow, which I argued against at the time. Do not let us repeat the mistakes that we made in our sugar industry. Do not let the two power plants be demolished until all possible alternatives have been fully explored.

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