Justin Moran

not the cheapest and most affordable source of renewable, the cheapest source of electricity generation.

So if we want to see those bills come down, if we want to get to a place where Ireland is energy secure, where we don't have families worrying about electricity bills, where we don't have businesses worrying about electricity bills, we're going to need to develop more and more of these projects.

Well, I think that's what the planning system and that's what the Environmental Impact Assessment Report is there to investigate.

And as part of carrying out that Environmental Impact Assessment Report, a peatland report needs to be carried out by the developer, which will be assessed by Ambur Pinola, by the relevant experts.

And Darren and everyone there who has an objection to the wind farm will have the opportunity to weigh in on that as well.

But I think going back to the point that Darren made a moment ago, he's absolutely right to say that the wholesale price of electricity isn't the only thing on the bill.

It is the biggest.

And we had a report from the SRI just last month saying that those countries...

which after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, moved fastest away from fossil fuel gas and towards wind farms, towards solar farms.

They've seen their prices fall the quickest.

Ireland just hasn't moved fast enough.

And as a result of that, we're all paying too much for our electricity bills.

And Darren is absolutely right.

It's an emotive issue.

And it's an emotive issue because you have to worry about people who are struggling to make ends meet.

But we can't lose sight of the fact that while we need to develop affordable electricity and clean electricity and secure electricity, we absolutely, and this is where I would agree with Darren, we need to do it in a way that supports and enhances Ireland's biodiversity and Ireland's nature and Ireland's environment.

And we can and do and are doing that.

Our understanding at the moment, Clare, is that they won't.

My understanding is that the objective of the bill is to focus on those really critical and strategic pieces of infrastructure.

So if you're talking about my sector, you're talking about electricity, I think they're going to be focused much more on the projects that will be needed to strengthen our electricity grid over the years to come.