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

I agree with the Deputy. I will look at the model. I am very open to looking at different models. We should continue to evolve this because there is real benefit in terms of wider community ownership and engagement. The International Energy Agency, IEA, country review, which was noted by the Government this week, recognised that there are a many community benefits and gain from our existing offshore and onshore schemes. It is not as if we do not have community gain. There is a revolution taking place at the household level. We are seeing 100 houses per day being fitted with solar panels. This has taken off unbelievably successfully in the last year. That is a wider distributed ownership. I agree with the Deputy, let us see how the SRESS and the new grid arrangements we are going to try to promote work. However, I do not think we should be restricted. One example presented at the European Energy Council recently was Ecopower, a Belgian company. The really attractive thing about this company is that it acts as a supply company as well as a generator. It is also involved in efficiency. This integrated approach of energy supplies, generation and innovation is a good model. There are good models on the continent and in the UK and we should continue to look at them as we expand community energy ownership.

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