Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

"Fail to prepare, prepare to fail" is an age-old saying but it would be equally appropriate as a slogan for this Government and the previous ones it has led or formed part of over the years. Throughout those years, successive Governments have failed to manage energy supply and demand resulting in where we are today. We are faced with a heightened risk of blackouts this winter. As Mark Foley, CEO of EirGrid, said in recent times, this is another avenue this Government has led us down - another avenue that leads to uncertainty for households and businesses across the country. What we have seen over the years is poor policy that has failed to increase supply in line with the projected increase in demand for energy.

That poor level of foresight led the Government earlier this year to introduce in a rushed manner the EirGrid, Electricity and Turf (Amendment) Act 2022. The purpose of this was to give EirGrid the necessary powers to procure directly 400 MW of power to hold for this coming winter and the two subsequent winters. It will not provide for what we need this winter. The Government would have been better off planning for the future, particularly when initial concerns were raised with it. Instead we are playing catch up and are encountering the obstacles that always arise when implementing something of this nature. The problem is that because of this situation we have been walked into through this lack of preparation, any obstacles will have a profound impact on the immediate response that is needed. We have increased coal and oil use at Moneypoint and Tarbert and we are still short around 280 MW when it comes to meeting demand. The unscheduled obstacles that have presented themselves include legal challenges to EirGrid's effort to directly procure 200 MW in advance of this winter. This is where leaving everything until the last minute leaves us - unable to manage our way through the problems that always arise.

We hear a lot about renewables and our ability to be self-sufficient, yet offshore wind has not been tapped into in any way that is significant while our planning system is beset with problems, the consequences of which we are seeing. We need to see a Government that seizes the opportunities to make us self-sufficient in energy while also providing for a young workforce. If our energy sector was working properly, there would be huge benefits for our young people, who would have the opportunity to take up well-paid jobs in a sector that would protect our planet and protect our energy security. Community energy generation has an important role to play in our energy future and I would advise the Government to plan accordingly and not to wait until the next warning comes because that has already arrived.

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