John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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219. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to the publication of the Electricity Storage Policy Framework for Ireland in July 2024, the engagement that has taken place with his Department and the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, local planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála in relation to addressing the safety and regulation concerns that are now widespread in communities across the country where new electricity storage installations are proposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39310/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Electricity Storage Policy Framework for Ireland was published by my Department in July 2024 in line with the Climate Action Plan (action EL/24/16).

Chapter four of the Policy Framework provides an overview of the existing safety and regulatory framework in place for grid scale electricity storage systems, including battery electricity storage systems in the European and Irish contexts.

It is important to note that different aspects of the safety of battery electricity storage systems are handled by different sets of regulations, agencies and Departments. While the policy framework delivers an overview, it is a matter for each institution or Department to implement their remits in line with their governing legislation.

Following the publication of the Electricity Storage Policy Framework for Ireland, my Department has met with officials from both the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and the bodies/agencies under their remits on a number of occasions over the past year where the implementation of the Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 has been discussed.