Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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84.To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he can provide a record of brown out events, by county for the years 2019 to 2024; the number of events that were reported, by county; how the responsible agency detects these brown outs; the measures that are taken to rectify the faults to ensure no recurrence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24912/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity market is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which is an independent regulator, accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas and not the Minister. The CRU was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity sector following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act, 1999 and subsequent legislation.

The CRU is responsible for, inter alia, the regulation of the electricity system operators ESB Networks, Distribution, and Eirgrid, Transmission. Building, safely operating and maintaining the electricity system are functions which are assigned to the respective Distribution and Transmission system operators and for which they are accountable to the CRU. Disruption of power supply for most customers will occur at the distribution network level and as such come within the remit of ESB Networks. ESB Networks are independent of the Minister in the exercise of their functions as network operators.

EirGrid as part of their role are responsible for the safe, secure operation of Ireland’s electricity system. EirGrid manage the supply of electricity in real time, whether from electricity generators on the island of Ireland, or from international suppliers. Ireland’s energy demands are monitored by EirGrid’s National Control Centre which carefully balances supply and demand on a minute-by-minute basis. In an electricity supply emergency, it may be necessary for EirGrid to restrict customers' consumption of electricity.

When the buffer between electricity supply and demand is tighter than EirGrid would like, EirGrid issues an alert to the electricity sector. Alerts are more likely to take place in the winter months when demand for electricity is at its highest. A System Alert (previously known as an Amber Alert) is the lowest level alert, followed by System Emergency (previously known as a Red Alert).

The Deputy has requested information regarding ‘brownouts’ however as set out above Eirgrid utilise a different model by which to reflect the condition of the electricity system. As such in this instance, the Deputy should engage directly with Eirgrid in the first instance regarding the information which she is seeking.

The CRU, Eirgrid and ESB Networks are independent of the Minister in the exercise of their functions. The CRU, Eirgrid and ESB Networks have respective contact email address for Deputies, of which they are aware, should they wish to raise matters of concern such as that raised in the question.