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

We have one of the most distributed housing settlement patterns in Europe. There is no other country that has a similar pattern of one-off housing. It is expensive. The wires have to be brought to every house and that is by definition expensive. This is not going to change, but it is a reality. It is one of the reasons for high costs not just in electricity but also in water supply and other areas. It makes the infrastructure we have to provide for houses more expensive. That is to a certain extent something that will not change quickly because it is a pattern that has been set over several decades. On the other hand, we are changing quickly now. We will deliver the 80%. The big development will be the offshore floating project. It has to get through planning and construction, which is still complicated, but I am confident it will happen. In the interim, we need onshore wind and solar and as I said, that is changing. I met the head of the Irish Wind Energy Association recently and he said there has been a real turnaround even in the last few months. We are starting to see projects get approval. They will be built and will switch us from dependence on gas. That is the best way for us to give greater security, reduce emissions and lower prices.

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