Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to express my absolute dismay and disappointment at the decision of the energy regulator with regard to the Mayo power plant at the Asahi site in Killala, County Mayo. It seems that its decision sounds the death-knell for the short-term delivery of a 45 MW high-efficiency, combined heat and power, biomass-fuelled power plant at this location. This is devastating for the area. The construction of the power plant would bring jobs and it is partially constructed, with €95 million spent out of €255 million for the project. There would also be jobs when it is operational. We will also lose out on an alternative source of income for farmers in a local economy. I concur with Senator Lombard about the suckler and beef farmer crisis. There is the potential to grow willow, which would be fed into this combined heat and power plant, and to create woodchips. There is planning permission for a data centre on this site. A selling point was that there could be a green energy power plant here, which is now being brought into question. There is national interest here in that, in 2020, we face fines for failing to meet our targets for renewable heat and electricity, and this perfectly fine project has been dealt a blow by the regulator.I have already taken this up with the Minister, Deputy Bruton, and I have spoken to the Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton. I would like the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, to come to the House because this is a terrible body blow to north Mayo and the Mayo region in general. This was to have been a catalyst for us.

My beef with the regulator is as follows. This project was partially built and in 2016 owing to financial difficulty with one of the banks, the developer had to go into liquidation. A new developer has come on board. It has consents from all Government agencies involved as well as ESB Networks. Mayo County Council extended the planning permission and EPA approval was granted. The only problem has been with the regulator which previously certified this project at a rate of 100% and has now turned around and certified it at 18%. It is the same project, the same regulation and the same technology. Something stinks to high heaven here. I have been raising questions behind the scenes and on the record in this House and at the committee. The regulator has not outlined why it is now making a change to the certification which renders the project no longer commercially viable.

I would like the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, to come to the House because we are desperate for jobs, investment, etc. The matter also needs to be discussed in the context of regional development and how we are going to make jobs a reality for young people in the areas where they want to live. This is a real-time problem and I ask that this urgency be expressed to the Minister and that she be brought in as a matter of urgency to see if the project can be salvaged.