Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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153. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to provide a breakdown of funding provided to ESB for energy grid maintenance and upgrade in each of the years 2010 to date, in tabular form. [42840/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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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 I, as 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 economic 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.

ESB Networks does not receive funding. System operator spending is agreed with the CRU in five-year cycles, referred to as Price Reviews. The current price review (Price Review 5) is in effect until the end of 2025 and will see a capital investment spend of over €8 billion in the electricity network. Work has commenced on Price Review 6 which will see the CRU sanction the investment in the grid to 2030. The CRU are proposing to approve an investment of up to €18.08 billion in our electricity system between 2026-2030, with a €14.1 billion baseline investment guaranteed.

The CRU have published on their website their decision in respect of PR5 and yearly regulatory reports in respect of same. Should the Deputy require further information they should engage directly with the CRU who can be contacted at oireachtas@cru.ie.