Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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95. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to outline his plans for a new policy on private wires. [49010/25]

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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This relates to the question of energy demand and how we meet it and the importance of progressing as quickly as possible with the private wires policy and indeed the private wires Bill. I welcome the commitment in July by the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, that he is going to progress on this. However, it is now of the essence that we move quickly. He did say it would be priority legislation. I hope the Minister of State can indicate a timeframe to the House today because we know about the demands for energy and we need to have movement on it as quickly as possible.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy said, Cabinet approved the private wires policy on 15 July, details of which have been published on the Government website. The policy allows for private wires to be developed in four scenarios: to permit private wires linking a single generation asset to a demand site; to facilitate hybrid connections; where possible to facilitate EV charging; and to allow a customer that self-supplies to provide electricity to a separate customer in a contiguous premises. Work on drafting the necessary legislation to support the policy is now ongoing within our Department and the intention is to bring this legislation to Cabinet for approval in the near term.

As I said, the Department is working with the Office of the Attorney General to progress legislative reform to implement the recently published private wires policy. I expect that the general scheme of the private wires Bill will be submitted for Cabinet approval by quarter 4 of this year. I will keep the House updated on that matter.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State knows how urgent this is. I am particularly thinking in terms of industrial demand and whether we can connect solar farms or wind farms into private industry or on the commercial side. In the development of our digital infrastructure, including data centres, it is critical that we move on this. I even suggest this in regard to housing because electricity supply is becoming a problem. A developer in my constituency who is ready to build homes came to me recently and said the only thing holding him up is the fact that ESB Networks is telling him that there is not sufficient supply in the particular area.

We need to set out ground rules and for the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities to be properly resourced. However, as a piece of legislation for this country's long-term economic development, this is essential. We need to see it enacted before next summer.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Following Cabinet approval the Department will work closely with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to commence drafting on the Bill in the new year before seeking Oireachtas approval. The legislation will be drafted to reflect the guiding principles of the policy statement and clarify the necessary regulations to build private wires in the policies for specified use cases. Plenty of examples have been brought to my attention, some of which are in my own constituency, where there are significant constraints on the capacity of the grid to meet the growing demand from industry, data centres and housing. There is an abundance of sites that are able to bring that electricity to the grid. It will be a useful tool in working our way around the constraints that are currently preventing significant development taking place. It is a priority of the Government. It was identified in the programme for Government as something that needs to be addressed and one on which no time will be lost. I thank the Deputy for his interest.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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It is critical. When we have a number of companies that are ready to build that infrastructure, we need to facilitate them. We do not need them to be held up in the planning process for long periods. We need that private infrastructure to complement the State infrastructure as soon as possible.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I am very conscious of that. When there are entities and corporations that are prepared to invest their own capital in such schemes, it is an appropriate way to progress and grow our economy. We see the same in housing. It is about bringing in private capital to support infrastructure. It allows us to move more quickly and ensures that the State is not left funding all of it. For that reason, the Government is in full agreement with the Deputy that this important legislation needs to progress without delay.