Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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239. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on correspondence from a local authority (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45522/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Monaghan County Council raised this matter  earlier in the year with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) who in turn raised it directly with me. I have informed the PAC that EirGrid is a commercial  State body charged with the implementation of Government energy policy and guarantee a secure supply of electricity via the development of the Irish electricity transmission system. This involves the maintenance, improvement and technological upgrade of the network. As a commercial body, EirGrid is not funded by the Exchequer and therefore, not subject to the PAC. This position applies to all commercial state bodies under the remit of my Department. EirGrid is regulated in its activities by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities(CRU), the independent regulator for the sector. The CRU has the role of approving the overall level of investment in transmission infrastructure. It approves expenditure on the transmission grid when EirGrid submits its Transmission Development Plan, which outlines EirGrid’s plans for transmission network development on a five-year rolling basis, to the CRU for approval. The entire capital expenditure for 2017 for example is regulated and is consistent with the multi-annual allowance as provided in the relevant regulatory determinations.