Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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32. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the engagement he has had with the ESB to improve energy infrastructure and prepare for future catastrophic storms as seen during storm Éowyn. [17755/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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ESB Networks, a subsidiary of the ESB, as Transmission Asset Owner is responsible for managing and delivering projects on the transmission network, including the detailed design, material procurement, construction and maintenance. EirGrid, as Transmission System Operator, is responsible for planning the development and operation of the transmission system. ESB Networks is also the Distribution Asset Owner and System Operator, and as such plan, operator and develop the distribution system as well.

ESB Networks and EirGrid are regulated by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) and are independent of me as Minister in the exercise of their functions. The CRU are currently in the process of determining Price Review 6, which will sanction the investment in our electricity grid between 2026 and 2030.In line with the 2012 Government Policy Statement on the Strategic Importance of Transmission and Other Energy Infrastructure, the Government does not have any role in the delivery of electricity infrastructure on the ground. Notwithstanding this, I met with representatives from the CRU and ESB Networks on 31 January last to discuss the Storm Éowyn response and the impact on customers.At this meeting, I requested a number of actions be undertaken to prepare for future storms and ensure resilience, including an enhanced Winter 2025 Grid Resilience Plan, which will be implemented between March and October 2025 and which I brought to Government this week for noting. I also requested a full review by ESB Networks and CRU, as part of the PR6 process, to determine if additional projects and investments are required to future proof Ireland’s energy grid and to adapt to the challenges of climate change.

Separately my officials engage with ESB Networks on an ongoing and regular basis regarding development of the grid including as part of the Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce and the Energy Security Group. A subgroup of the ESG was established to focus on storm Éowyn response and to develop more robust mitigation methods in the face of future extreme weather events.