Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I also ask that the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, which is the energy regulator, make a statement on the application by Mayo Renewable Limited for a 45 MW high-efficiency combined heat and power biomass plant. At the beginning of April the regulator was summoned, at my request, before the Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment to answer questions on inordinate delays in the processing of an application for a renewable energy plant that would provide local employment at the Asahi site outside Killala. At that meeting, the regulator stated that if a fresh application were made, it would be dealt with expeditiously as it was quite familiar with the application at that stage. Unfortunately, though the company submitted an application shortly after that, the process is still ongoing and seems to be running into the same dead ends and unsatisfactory explanations from the regulator, which we thought had been cleared up.

I am asking that the regulator be required to make a statement on the delay in processing this application, given that it stated on the record that it would deal with such an application speedily and in a fair manner. It had not previously done so, on which it was called out. I regret that I have to stand here again and raise this issue. Some common sense should prevail. We are potentially facing fines for not achieving our renewable energy and electricity targets and yet this project is facing all sorts of issues which can be dealt with. It is not satisfactory. Why would private investors, which are being asked to build these power plants and invest in renewable energy projects, hang around if they cannot do business in any sort of timely manner? It is crazy.