Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein)

I welcome the Minister. There is no question that we need urgent and ambitious action to fix our electricity grid, which has been crippled by decades of underinvestment, bad planning and mismanagement. That neglect has left us in a critical infrastructure deficit, with soaring prices and a grid that cannot even connect new homes or maximise our renewable potential.

Just this summer, 80 families were unable to move into their new homes because there was no electricity connection. Across the State, renewable generation is being wasted because the grid cannot carry the power, so, yes, investment is essential, but how that investment is planned, managed and overseen will determine whether we fix these failures or repeat them again. Unfortunately, as drafted, this Bill risks repeating them. It lacks transparency, accountability and the necessary protections for households. That is why Sinn Féin has tabled amendments to the Bill. I really hope we can have a good discussion on them because they are constructive, responsible and grounded in fairness.

I am going to very briefly run through what each one is about. I will be going into more detail next week. Our first amendment would require ESB to report directly to the Oireachtas within six months and annually thereafter. This report would set out where the money is being borrowed, what projects it is funding and, crucially, what impact it has on electricity prices for consumers. Let us be honest: without transparency, there can be no accountability. The public has the right to know where the money is going and whether it is serving the public good or corporate interests.

Our second amendment will set out a clear prioritisation framework for the investment modelled on the Dutch authority for consumers and markets, ACM, model to make sure that ESB's new borrowing powers are targeted where they are needed most. That means investment in congestion softeners in areas where the grid is constrained, security of supply for hospitals, Garda stations and water infrastructure and especially cases where there is clear public interest. This means excluding grid connections for any new data centres because housing has to come before data centres. Data centres have hijacked our electricity grid. They now consume 22% of our national electricity demand, projected to reach one third by 2030. That compares with between 3% and 5% for other EU countries. Meanwhile, families are being priced out of their homes and young couples are being told that housing cannot go ahead because the grid is full. This has to stop.

Our third amendment is about protecting households. It requires the ESB to ensure that any borrowing under the Bill does not lead to an increase in the domestic tariffs beyond inflationary adjustments because households are already paying some of the highest energy bills across Europe. Over 300,000 households are now in arrears yet under the Government's own regulatory draft price review 6, households and SMEs will see their network charges rise while large users like the data centres will get a reduction of up to 18%. That is just not fair. It is actually scandalous, when we think about it, that households are going to pay more and data centres will pay less. It means that the very companies driving up the energy demand are being asked to pay less while the ordinary families are paying more. Our amendments would ensure that the €1.5 billion of public investment and the extra €5 billion in borrowing powers are used to bring down the costs and not drive them up. Sinn Féin recognises the need for investment, but we also recognise the need for responsibility. Public money must deliver public good. That means transparency and oversight through the Oireachtas. It means fairness for households who are struggling to pay their bills. It means strategic investment that supports housing, energy security and renewable growth, not blank cheques for corporate expansion. We cannot continue with the stop-start planning and the lack of scrutiny that has been left to happen for decades in this country. Sinn Féin's amendments would put in place the safeguards, oversight and fairness that have been missing for far too long. If the Government truly wants this Bill to mark a turning point for Ireland's energy future, it should accept these amendments next week because Ireland does not need more missed opportunities. We need a fair, transparent and affordable energy system, one that works for the people and not for profit.