Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, informs me that the current planning permission for the two sites include an obligation to decommission the power plants and remediate the sites by the end of 2022. Prior to any development opportunity taking place, the ESB must satisfy the legal obligation to remediate the existing sites. In addition, I understand that the power plant equipment cannot be used for any purpose beyond December 2020 because neither the planning consents nor environmental licences cover any such issue. Notwithstanding this, the ESB is committed to the future use of the sites, and a feasibility study is under way to assess how this valuable infrastructure might be used in the longer term, taking account of its location, the infrastructure that is in place and the future requirements of the electricity market.

See this speech in context