Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Section 8 allows the Minister to "prescribe such requirements and such matters of procedure and administration as appear to the Minister to be necessary or expedient in respect of an alternative assessment." I believe we may get another chance to discuss this legislation but I want to ask a question at this point. Does the Minister plan to use his power to "prescribe such requirements and such matters of procedure and administration"? This section also allows "information, including supplementary or additional information where required, relating to the alternative assessment to be provided." Does the Minister plan to use those powers to strengthen some of the issues we have addressed, such as environmental impact assessments? One of the ameliorating factors would be assessments of the other measures in place to ensure such energy is only deployed when absolutely necessary and to ensure demand-side measures are taken into account. I have asked about some of these things before. Specifically, when will this emergency energy be dispatched? One of the things which would affect the environmental impact of the granting of these permissions is clarity about when the energy to be dispatched will be used. What other measures will be in place to ensure it is only used when it is genuinely the last resort and there are no other measures that could be deployed? Does the Minister have plans to use the powers mentioned in section 8?