Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response, which illustrates what I set out today about whether any of the amendments be taken on board. The Minister of State has been given a script to read, which I respect; I know how this all works. I welcome his comments regarding the need for a policy paper on battery storage. As a matter of fact, I thought his commentary, or that of the civil servant which he read into the record, was quite positive and favourably disposed to the general rationale and concept I set out in the amendment. I do not take the Minister of State's contribution as being a negative. I thought it was very favourable and supportive. As he said on the record of the House, he was just not in a position to accept it. I accept that too.

I welcome the idea and would like to see some sort of policy engagement in terms of battery storage. When we look back on green policy, the Minister of State personally has been a strong advocate in this area of battery storage. It is something his party has very much promoted in the past. I ask him to perhaps provide detail on the public consultation. Things are moving on. As the Minister of State knows, we are on a political timetable with a countdown. We are halfway through our term in office, or I should say the Government's term in office.

Will the Minister of State take another look at or ask his officials to take on board Hornsdale and the Australian model? I think it is a good one. There is much information about it on the Internet. It is worth looking at that particular model. There is an important question around the whole issue of storage. Senator Boylan also touched on a number of issues about storage that are pertinent, although they are not necessarily for today; we do not have that sort of time.

I hear what the Minister of State is saying. I do not doubt his commitment to the area but we need to have more consideration of this issue. The Minister of State told us there will now be a public consultation, of which I was not aware. I welcome that. He might continue by telling us about the timelines for the public consultation he announced today.