Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I again thank the Deputy for raising the matter. I will bring his concerns and views back to the Minister. As I outlined, it is important any decision made with regard to seasonal clock changes take account of the wider impact these changes would make. The Department of Justice's engagement with the public has shown the people are keenly aware of these impacts.

The Government has introduced a number of targeted measures in budget 2023 to increase energy efficiency, such as increasing the funding to the better energy, warmer homes scheme. This will allow homeowners on low incomes to upgrade the energy efficiency of their homes. The small firms investment in energy efficiency scheme will provide a grant to companies to encourage capital investment in projects to reduce carbon emissions. The €600 energy credit for household and the temporary business energy support scheme will also assist in reducing the impact of the increased cost of energy.

The Department of Justice will continue to engage at EU level on the issue of seasonal clock changes and ensure Ireland's interests are taken into account throughout the decision-making process. The Deputy is right to say we need to conserve energy. His proposal sounds very reasonable to me. If all the countries in Europe, the UK and the island of Ireland were to jump together, we would have a good chance. The war in Ukraine has brought huge challenges. I will not say huge opportunities but there are areas where we can try to conserve energy. It is vital. I am watching the EirGrid dashboard every day. As a politician, one hopes the wind blows as much as possible and that it remains relatively mild, but there are challenging times ahead.

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