Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)

This Bill represents a huge and welcome investment in our future energy supply and infrastructure and is desperately needed, so I welcome it. However, we have an issue in Ireland when it comes to equity and fairness in the electricity framework that we currently have. This legislation comes at us at a time when Ireland's electricity system is under significant pressure and households and small businesses are struggling with energy bills that remain far too high. Additional investment in the grid are welcome, but it cannot result in additional costs for consumers, as is usually the case. Often, we see consumers taking the hit on additional investment in the grid. People's electricity bills are soaring and families are making the decisions between heating and eating this winter. Families are still paying inflated prices long after wholesale energy costs have fallen. This is simply not good enough. Energy is not a luxury; it is a public good. It heats our homes, powers our hospitals and keeps our economy moving. It should never be treated as a commodity to be exploited but as an essential service that must serve the public interest first.

The intention of this Bill is welcome. It seeks to modernise our electricity supply arrangements to support renewables and ensure security of supply. However, we must be clear. The system as it stands is not working fairly for everybody. Storm Éowyn once again exposed the vulnerability of our network, particularly across rural Ireland, as we heard from Senator Cosgrove. Thousands were left without power, in some places for days, relying on families and neighbours around them and the goodwill of farmers who had generators for their business. They were relying on the goodwill of those around them. It is a stark reminder that the resilience of the grid must be a central part of any reform efforts. Rural communities cannot be left in the dark, whether that is literally or figuratively, every winter as severe weather hits. Our national grid is ageing. Investment has indeed lagged and renewable connections face long delays. At the same time, energy intensive projects, such as large data centres, continue to be approved without adequate assessment of their impact on supply, emissions and consumers' bills.

The reality is that current investment in the grid is ultimately going to benefit large corporations as energy is prioritised for data centres. We have 87 data centres in Ireland, maybe 11 under development and maybe another 30 with planning approved. We need to see more strategic management of data centres because, at the moment, that is not what is happening. Under current projections, 30% of our electricity demand will be coming from the data centre industry by 2030, within the next five years. That is compared with 2% to 3% of our European counterparts. That difference is significant, and it is concerning when it comes to domestic energy management needs. If we are serious about building a resilient and low carbon electricity system, then we have to do it in a way that is socially just. The transition to renewables cannot be at the expense of rural communities or families who are already struggling with high costs. Climate action must go hand in hand with fairness, and that is the principle that has guided the approach of the Social Democrats. While this investment in the grid is welcome, we need to be looking at embedding the public interest more firmly in how energy is generated, distributed and priced.