Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for the points he raised. I will make two brief points in response to two key points he made. In respect of his comment about the role of consultants in the process being a kick in the teeth, I urge him to wait for the conclusion of the public consultation and the Government's response to it before he decides whether or not the role of consultants has been a kick in the teeth.

In response to his point about the Department being responsible for this, is it not the case that if the Department did not play a role in this, the Senator would say that it had abdicated its responsibility for the area? It is the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. It has a role to play in this. What it has done is put in place a consultation process, which it has outlined to everybody and in which a huge number of people have participated. It is reviewing that. As I am sure the Senator is aware, a further two consultations will take place. The Department is preparing a scoping report for the strategic environmental assessment along with a summary Department document on the stage 1 consultation. The stage 2 consultation will then be held and will offer everybody an opportunity to make contributions. After that, there will be a third consultation stage when a draft policy is clear.

The Senator is telling me that the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources should not be doing this kind of work but this Department has been tasked with making sure our country is energy-sufficient and can move towards energy independence in a way that meets the legal requirements the previous Government signed our country up to. A public consultation process is under way and I am sure the Senator will be commenting on it, as is his right as a Member of the Oireachtas. Given that his party and others called for a review to take place-----