Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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47. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will mandate energy companies to use the excess energy, which is currently being wasted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17731/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a regulatory regime wherein electricity and gas markets are commercial, liberalised, and competitive. Operating within this overall EU framework, responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), which was assigned this responsibility following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act, 1999. The CRU is an independent statutory regulator and is accountable for the performance of its functions to the Oireachtas. The CRU has a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members (oireachtas@cru.ie) which enables them to raise questions on energy regulatory matters, such as the matter raised in this Question, for timely direct reply. The broader issue raised in the Question relates to renewable energy that may be available but cannot be used by the electricity system, due to a variety of issues. This might be due to local network limitations, known as constraints, or simply because there is insufficient consumer demand at a particular time. Energy suppliers can only supply electricity to customers to meet their energy demand requirements. Ireland’s Climate Action Plans recognise the need for the electricity sector to become more adaptable and flexible, in response to the ever-increasing volume of distributed renewable energy sources on the grid. It also recognises that Ireland’s citizens can play a central role in this transition by flexibly managing their energy assets in response to the level of renewable energy on the grid and, by doing so, can lower their energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint. My Department is currently working on supporting technology deployment that can enable consumers to flexibly adjust their demand in response to market signals and the changing level of renewable energy available. Additionally, under the 2025 Programme for Government, Government has committed to exploring what methods, including legislation, can be used to divert surplus renewable energy to homes in fuel poverty.