Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The CRU comes before the committee and we take our scrutiny of it very seriously. The CRU also engages with Government Departments. One clear example is the Energy Charter Treaty. We have repeatedly asked the CRU if it is examining the implications of the treaty. We have been asking for three years. We have been constantly told that if the Minister required the CRU to do work or examine the issue, it would, but the Minister has not, so it will not. We have been told it has not examined that issue. Now, we are at a point where the Energy Charter Treaty, another thing nobody ever wants to talk about, and five or six countries have announced they are leaving the treaty. Senator Boylan gave leadership on this and I supported her on this. She has been flagging it as a serious issue with serious implications. There has been a complete unwillingness to discuss it.

In that regard, the reason that has been given is the Minister. I have asked Ministers if they will request or seek information or examination of this issue. There has been no examination because we wanted to wait to see what Europe is doing. Europe is now leaving and wanting to leave. We still do not know what Ireland's position is on the Energy Charter Treaty and what it is doing. That is one example.

On these issues, with respect, while we can question the CRU, it does not have to be through the CRU. In fact, the CRU suggests that the EPA may be the relevant authority. That is what it suggested to us recently regarding back-up generators. I ask the Minister of State, whether or not he accepts it as this amendment, if he will seek to get the information about exactly what kind of back-up generator is in each of the data centres in Ireland. We need to find out exactly what kind of back-up generation they have, so we can have a picture and know that information.

Does the Minister of State think it would be a good idea to put in more requirements, rather than somebody saying that they have back-up generation? We might look to, for example, trying to avoid the most egregiously, heavily fossil fuel forms of back-up generation. That may require political leadership from the Department. At a basic point, we must have that information and all of the information we have looked for, such as the breakdown of large energy users which participated in demand-side reduction mechanisms, voluntary and involuntary, both in the generality as the pattern and in relation to specific times when temporary emergency energy has been activated. Those are specific questions.

Will the Minister of State seek the information concerning those measures, voluntary and involuntary demand-side measures taken with large energy users in general, and in at least some of the specific instances in which temporary emergency energy generation was activated? That information will help us get better policies together in relation to that.

Will the Minister of State also seek the information regarding back-up generation? We can question the CRU, which we will and we take very seriously. It comes regularly to the committee. Nonetheless, ultimately political leadership and responsibility for this sits with the Department. That information is a priority for all of us - I include the Minister of State and others - who want better policies in this area. We need to have that information. Be it the EPA, the CRU or the Department directly, whatever might be required, I would like the Minister to ensure that information is made available to inform our decision-making.