Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 5:

In page 7, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following:

“Report on the implementation 11.(1) The Minister shall, within 6 months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas following a post-enactment review.

(2) Within one month of the laying of the report before both Houses of the Oireachtas, the Minister and EirGrid shall account for the performance of their functions to the Joint Committee for the Environment and Climate Action and shall have regard to any recommendations of the Joint Committee relevant to its functions.

(3) The Minister and EirGrid shall provide any information requested by the Committee within two weeks of the receipt of such requests.”.

This amendment is self-explanatory. It sets out that within six months of the passing of the Act, a post-enactment review of the legislation would take place. This is the second time in a very short time that we have voted on emergency legislation in the House to deal with our crisis in electricity demand and power capacity.

Those of us who are members of the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action are often very frustrated that there are even disputes between some of the actors involved in sorting out this crisis. For example, we were told by EirGrid that growth in electricity demand of 9% was completely normal. When we pressed for international and EU comparisons, it was shown that it was not normal and that average growth in electricity demand is between 0.5% and 1% annually.

We are calling for a post-enactment review so that we do not end up back in the House in another six months having to deal with another crisis in our electricity capacity. It is not much to ask that we have a review. It would give some sort of comfort to those of us who are uncomfortable with what we are being asked to do today but who feel we have no choice but to support the legislation.