Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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1128. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide, in tabular form, the annual amount paid out in constraint payments to the hydro industry, as a result of letting wind onto the system over the past five years; and the amount for each hydro plant. [22215/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The issue of implementation of priority dispatch in the All-Island Electricity Market is a matter for the Single Electricity Market Committee. While it is a matter in which I have no function, it is important to note that EU Regulation 2009/28/EC requires Member States to give priority dispatch to renewable generation on the electricity grid. This includes hydro generators, unless the generator concerned has elected to forego priority dispatch and to actively trade in the market. It is the case that hydro electricity generators who have elected to avail of priority dispatch may have their output reduced under certain circumstances. In such instances, these hydro generators are compensated for this in the Single Electricity Market (i.e. constraint payments). Details in regard to constraint payments to hydro generators are available on the website of the Single Electricity Market Operator at .