Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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128. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps taken to ensure security of electricity supply for the forthcoming winter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61516/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (the CRU) has statutory responsibility to ensure security of electricity supply. This includes the duty to monitor security of electricity supply and to take such measures as it considers necessary to protect security of supply. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities is assisted in its statutory role by EirGrid.

The challenges to security of electricity supply are set out in EirGrid's Generation Capacity Statement 2021-2030 and Winter Outlook 2021/2022, which were published in September and October respectively.

In September, the CRU published an information note, setting out the programme of actions they are leading in order to address these challenges. These actions include:

- increasing the availability of existing generators;

- developing new generation capacity;

- extending the operational life of some existing generators; and

- actions to enhance demand-side response, including large consumers reducing demand when the system margin is low.

Last month, the Government approved and published a new Policy Statement on Electricity Security of Supply, which supports the CRU's programme of actions.

My Department continues to work closely with the CRU and EirGrid to implement the programme of actions and ensure security of electricity supply.