Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The question is about what other funding models the Minister has in mind. There is a broader issue of the increased investment in public ownership as a means of funding and accelerating the transition. Recent governments have created an energy system where profit maximisation seems to be the most important part of it. With the privatisation of our energy generation, the market share transfer from public to private sector means that profits have flown into corporate dividends. Is the Minister happy with that model, which has resulted in increased bills for ordinary people? The transition presents an opportunity now for us to reform our energy system for the betterment of all, but it seems that opportunity is being squandered. As the Minister mentioned, the vast majority of renewable energy under the renewable energy support scheme, RESS, is privately owned or publicly owned by other states. It is crazy to think that Norway's state-owned Statkraft and EDF France own more of our offshore resources than we do. Even more of our renewable resources are owned by private corporations. We feel that there should be increased public ownership. What measures is the Government taking to increase public ownership, if any? Furthermore, what will it do to reduce our energy prices, which are some of the highest in Europe?

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