Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

We have an energy regulator but it is not viable for local communities to apply for a licence. They may have to wait seven to ten years to find out if there will be a connection and if they can proceed. That is fine for a major developer travelling around the country and taking options on sites with a view to what is down the road. There are road blocks there. We must facilitate community engagement in local generation of energy which can also connect to the grid. I suggest a minor change that would facilitate communities to generate their own electricity. Developers cannot apply for a connection to the grid until they have planning permission because there is a gridlock, if the House will pardon the phrase, in respect of applications. Many of those applications, however, are speculative. They do not have planning permission and they are clogging up the system. Where a genuine community group comes along with a proposal for a micro-generation plant on the local river, it cannot get a connection and just sees a backlog.I will forward a further six specific questions to the Minister, which I know he will respond to.