Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am very supportive of that kind of approach. I agree we should work collectively and see how we can reduce costs. I agree that planning is one of the factors, involving long timelines and uncertainty in the Irish planning system. The Attorney General is working now to update and modernise the 2020 planning Act, and that will be completed by the end of this year. That is critical.

I also agree that some of the real uncertainty that may cause some of the slightly higher prices, along with the high price of steel and silicon etc., relates to curtailment and constraints costs. We must give certainty in that with grid investment plans and the regulatory system. That will help reduce the price in further auctions. These are the first of five auctions, so it is an iterative process. I have spoken to developers and people involved with the business and the costs of steel and silicon are the primary reason the higher prices were seen. We must be careful in comparing other countries with ourselves. Some costs are included here that may not be in other auctions. I absolutely agree with the fundamental point made by the Deputy and am willing to work with other Deputies here to see what can be done to bring down prices.

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