Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader to arrange for the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to come into the House in relation to the energy situation. Where are we going? How will we meet our targets by 2030? Where are Coillte and the ESB going and what will they do? They are the two big energy players here and it is nearly impossible to see what their plans are. A large number of farmers want to get together and to know where they can enter the grid. They need to speak to the ESB and Coillte. It is important to have a debate here on that.

I am disappointed with the increase in the standing charge. It is a retrograde step by the ESB to increase the charge by such a high percentage. Not alone do we have that charge, we also have the PSO levy. If you apply for a connection to a house, you have to pay for that connection. If there is a disconnection, you have to pay for it. If there is a reconnection, you pay for it. You have to pay for all of those charges. Why is there such a thing as a standing charge? The standing charge or the PSO should entitle customers in some way to get retrofitting done to their houses or maybe that annual charge could be increased but would involve concessions for householders, allowing them to offset some of their carbon footprint. At a time when the ESB is making €200 million profit and gives a commission to the Government of €126 million, the increase to the standing charge by such a huge percentage is an area we have to have a debate on in the not-too-distant future. I ask that the Leader bring the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, into the House to debate those issues.