Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, will be aware that there is enormous concern about how families, particularly elderly people and the vulnerable, will heat their homes this winter. That is not scaremongering but the truth, as the Minister of State knows. It is also the case in many other countries throughout the world. There are undoubtedly international factors at work but there are also factors within our control.

We have left ourselves incredibly vulnerable - more vulnerable than most of our neighbours - in terms of our energy security. We are extremely reliant on fossil fuels and the international markets. We have made several mistakes regarding our grid and energy generation capacity in recent years, particularly during the term of the previous Fine Gael Government but also during this Government's term.

It is difficult to fathom the position the Government took for months in opposing the decoupling of electricity and gas. It is now trying to hide behind the EU but the Government's position was one of opposition to decoupling. That is difficult to fathom.

I will make two points on energy security. Anyone involved in energy, particularly the renewable side, will say they are tearing their hair out because of EirGrid and the CRU, and, beyond that, because of the processes that mean everything is sequential. Only when an applicant has been granted planning permission for a project can it go to the ESB to try to advance it. That is absolute lunacy. I have come across cases - I will not go into much detail - where planning for wind farms is on the verge of elapsing and the project has not been able to proceed through the ESB and An Bord Pleanála. There area also wait times caused by delays in An Bord Pleanála, as Deputy O'Rourke pointed out. This is seriously slowing down the ability of those who want to generate renewable energy to be able to bring it onto the grid.

My second point is on solar power. It is difficult to understand the bureaucracy and delays that are preventing businesses, individuals, schools and community organisations from being able to install solar panels and sell the power back to the grid. There are 4,000 schools in the State. Every one of them should have solar panels. There is supposed to be legislation coming through. The issue was supposed to be sorted out in the spring but has gone to consultation. While there is nothing wrong with consultation, the delay is difficult to understand. This issue was supposed to have been resolved months ago and the legislation was supposed to be in place.

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