Micheál Martin
Cork South-Central · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“At the beginning of April, the Government approved the establishment of the Cork city futures group to guide development of Cork city for the future.”
“We have to have a budget that reflects the need to sustain that level of work in our economy so that people will have access to jobs. The AI issue is causing a lot of concern. I take heart from the investment announced by Intel this week, which will be AI-propelled, actually.”
“Dublin City Council is progressing the establishment of this new legal entity, in line with the timelines laid out in the roadmap; a ten-year integrated area strategy for Dublin city centre to optimise funding and investment and tackle vacancy and dereliction; and accelerated delivery of landmark capital projects in the city centre throug…”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 to 30, inclusive, together. This will be a long answer because there is one task group and one futures group.”
“I think Deputy Hayes was being a bit petty, if that is the word I am looking for, in what he said about Spain. Well, using the word "petty" might be a bit uncharitable today. It is more a Spain is more vociferous than us kind of thing. We have worked very well together on the Middle East. It is a very serious issue.”
“A dedicated body, to be known as The Cork City Futures Group, will work to unlock the city’s full economic, cultural and academic potential, alongside further investment, innovation and infrastructure. I think people are familiar with the terms of reference.”
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“These are debates that we need to have sensibly. We need to engage with communities and put the facts on the table in terms of the implications if we do not go ahead. It will mean less economic growth, fewer houses and less development of rural land if we do not get the upgrades to the grid over the line. Deputy Quaide is probably too young to ever have been on the Youghal train but I had great experiences on it as a child. We all, multiple families, went on it from Turners Cross to Youghal. It was a fantastic service at the time. There is a fantastic greenway there now but I hear what the Deputy is saying. There is huge investment in the commuter rail project in Cork. It is fantastic. All the stations are being built and that development is, and will be, phenomenal.”
“There is a review under way and work is being done by EirGrid, the Department and the ESB to work that out and understand the challenges. It is being actively pursued. As I said earlier, up to €13 billion will now be invested in the grid itself. We have given the equity to EirGrid for grid upgrades. We met with EirGrid and ESB Networks yesterday at a Cabinet subcommittee meeting, with a view to those companies presenting to us the full map of Ireland with all the various upgrades and projects. We are talking about a couple of hundred projects here and that will need political support. What will happen is that in different localities, some Deputies will come under pressure because people will say they do not want kV lines but at some stage we have to get real as a country. We cannot have each-way bets every time.”
“The result has been a quite dramatic upsurge in applications, in terms of the numbers of people now applying for different types of retrofitting and for windows and doors as well, so that is working. Is innealtóir den scoth é Barry Heneghan gan amhras. Admhaím go bhfuil suim faoi leith aige i gcúrsaí fuinnimh. Tagann sé isteach anseo go minic le moltaí agus tá an Rialtas ag éisteacht leis, particularly in the context of the legislation pertaining to private wires. I discussed plug-in solar with the Minister, arising from the Deputy raising it the last day. There are issues with the capacity of houses to absorb plug-in solar.”
“Farmers are very positive about the utilisation of solar on rooftops, farm sheds and so on. That is an area we can unlock and do more on. Deputy Cummins also made a point about retrofitting. We have been working on that. About €500 million is being spent on retrofitting now but there is validity in the Deputy's point insofar as it is still a significant up-front cost for people to do deep retrofitting, notwithstanding the significant grants that are now available. However, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, changed the grant scheme last February for windows and doors and a whole range of other items. He brought down the thresholds and has made it easier.”
“We have our fair share of them - I will acknowledge that - but they are important catalysts for investment too. The point is, though, that they will use up a lot of energy so we really need the offshore wind to happen. That has faced challenges because of what has happened in the United States and the undermining of the companies in the US in the wind space. We have quite a number of offshore wind projects in planning at the moment. We need to get those over the line by 2030 onwards and get a number of offshore wind farms up and running. That is key to the future energy sustainability of the country. There are about 2.5 GW of onshore wind in planning at the moment, with An Coimisiún Pleanála. That gives an illustration of where we are in terms of the energy debate. We had a debate earlier about TAMS.”
“When I say we need a political debate, the point is that people object to solar, wind energy and gas generation stations. I keep asking myself how we will turn the lights on if we object to all of it. We need to work out, as a country, where we are heading. In terms of AI and data centres, they are a part of the modern digital world. There is no point in saying otherwise.”
“It needs to be examined as an option into the future. At the moment, it is gas and renewables and there is a vulnerability on gas importation if anything was to happen to the gas connectors. We know the ships of a third country actor, Russia, have passed over the gas connectors and we have had to go down and check, as have the British. That is a huge vulnerability. That is why we are doing the strategic LNG energy reserve that we are providing in the mid-west. Deputy Ó Murchú raised the same issue with roads that Deputy Malcolm Byrne raised. Again, that is under consideration between the Departments and we will come back to that. Deputy Cummins raised fossil fuels and I have said what she said herself, namely, that it has to be a catalyst to more renewables.”
“No, because there are other factors. The war in Ukraine was a huge factor. The problem with fossil fuels is that it they are coming from areas where there is conflict. We had a huge problem with Russia invading Ukraine. There was a huge energy crisis because Europe decided, correctly, to eliminate its dependency on Russian oil and gas. There is a war in the Middle East now, with a 20% reduction in world supplies. That has pushed up the price and caused huge problems for us. We need reinvestment in the grid. We have supported and given equity to EirGrid and we are now at the stage where up to €13 billion will be spent over the next five to six years on the grid itself. Deputy Ó Cearúil raised the issue of nuclear power. I have dealt with that previously. I have no issue with examining nuclear power.”
“There has been an onshore wind revolution over the last 30 years. It has caused pressures and challenges, of that there is no doubt, but, equally, fossil fuel is damaging as well.”
“As I said earlier in response to another question, we need to have an honest conversation in the House about energy. People have looked for supports, quite rightly, and we have allocated about €750 million to alleviate the pressures on families, but the most effective pathway is to have more renewables. That will reduce the costs but we need to communicate that better to the public. More wind and more solar means cheaper energy costs in the long term and then we will not have to be putting together €750 million packages or providing energy credits for ever more. There is an over-reliance on the gas side and all of that is imported. If one looks at all of the graphs, we are still not at the right level. Around 40% of our energy is from renewables, or rather, around 40% of our electricity generation is from renewables.”
“The flooding during that particular storm was a different event from what I witnessed in Carlow and in different parts of the country that I visited. I would be strongly supportive of what Deputy McCormack said. Offaly has been very progressive in terms of renewables in general. As I have said to him previously, Offaly is on the cusp of something significant. Given the work of Bord na Móna, the battery storage developments that we have witnessed in Shannonbridge recently, investment in renewable farms and other investors coming on stream, renewable energy will attract other investments. Offaly has to get acknowledgement for what it has achieved already. It does not make any sense if there is not recognition. What has happened so far needs to be measured in terms of what one plans for the next instalment or degree of provision.”
“I thank everybody for raising a range of issues. Deputy Malcolm Byrne was first off in raising Storm Chandra. He made the very good point that there are about eight storm events a year now and that speaks to the need for greater adaptation in our broader policies across the board. We need to adapt and invest in adaptation so that we are ready for these storms. Each storm is different. Storm Éowyn was different from Storm Chandra and had different impacts. I have spoken to the Minister with responsibility for roads and also to the Minister for public expenditure in relation to that. Submissions have been made across the country in respect of Storm Chandra and the needs there. I will come back to the Deputy in respect of that because it has to happen. More broadly, when I visited the Deputy, we saw a different manifestation of the storm.”
“Ireland’s emissions have been falling for the last three years, and we now have lower overall emissions than at any point in the last 35 years, despite our population growing by 50% over that period. The latest EPA quarterly indicator report shows a continuation in that downward trend. The Cabinet committee meets quarterly. It last met on 26 February and is scheduled to meet again later this month.”
“Our ultimate goal, through the promotion of renewable energy on land and at sea, through the development of battery storage, through investing in an electricity grid fit for our current and future needs, and through the electrification of transport and heating, is to free ourselves from fossil fuels. This will be good for our energy security, good for our pockets and good for our economic future. It will also help us to dramatically lower Ireland's emissions of greenhouse gases. This Government’s priority remains the delivery of a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system built around renewable energy. As an island nation, we possess some of the best wind resources in Europe, and that potential must remain at the centre of our energy policy. Over 40% of electricity generation is now from renewable sources.”
“These include a reduction in excise on diesel and petrol by a further 10 cent - VAT inclusive - which brings the total reduction on diesel to 32 cent and on petrol to 27 cent, a reduction in excise on marked gas oil by a further 2.4 cent which brings the total reduction on green diesel to 7.4 cent and a deferral of the planned increase in carbon tax scheduled for May 1 until the budget, which will impact green diesel and non-propellant fuels such as kerosene heating oil, natural gas and solid fuels. A new €100 million fuel subsidy support scheme is being introduced to assist farmers, agricultural contractors and fishers facing unprecedented increases in fuel costs, providing €20 million per month in supports.”
“This builds on the recent expansion of the fuel allowance to working family payment recipients, which was backdated to 1 January, and an increase in the allowance to €38 per week from 1 January. Government further agreed on 12 April to new measures targeting fuel costs, amounting to over €500 million, to support the transport, farming and fisheries sectors.”
“The Ministers, Deputies Burke and O’Brien, have and will continue to actively engage with industry representatives, suppliers, and relevant regulators on this matter. To date, over €750 million has been committed to measures to support households and business with increased fuel costs. On 24 March, the Government introduced temporary and targeted measures to reduce fuel costs, including a reduction in excise on petrol by 15 cent and diesel by 20 cent, an increase in the diesel rebate scheme for haulage and bus passenger operators from 7.5 cent up to 12 cent per litre of diesel, a temporary reduction of the NORA levy and the extension of the fuel allowance season by four weeks.”
“The measures that have been put in place are helping to alleviate some of the dramatic cost increases experienced in recent months. These measures are necessary and the Government continues to develop further options so we will be in a position to respond as the situation develops. At the same time, we must acknowledge our reliance on fossil fuels is a vulnerability for us all and makes Ireland susceptible to price and supply shocks from geopolitical events beyond our control. Our diminishing but still significant reliance on gas-powered generation also contributes to higher electricity costs. We are very conscious of the increased financial pressure on households and businesses arising from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.”
“I propose Parliamentary Questions Nos. 16 to 34, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy oversees implementation of the programme for Government commitments in relation to the environment, climate action, energy and emergency planning. It considers the wide range of issues that require action in Ireland’s transition to a low-carbon, climate resilient and sustainable future - a future in which we take full advantage of the renewable energy potential we possess, while ensuring energy policies contribute to energy security, affordability and competitiveness. Much of Government's attention is currently focused on addressing the immediate cost pressures facing households and businesses arising from the conflict in the Middle East.”
“Deputy Tóibín raised the Springhill massacre. I have not seen the full outcome of the inquest but timely and proper apologies should be given in respect of the Springhill massacre and other events of a similar kind. On the legacy Bill, I have made my point to the Deputy that huge progress has been made compared with where we were in terms of the previous legacy Bill. I have confidence that if it gets through the legislature in Britain and is implemented in good faith, it will make for a defining moment in dealing once and for all with legacy on the island of Ireland. If the Deputy does not mind me saying, some people want to have a campaign forever. I remember the Eames-Bradley report. I would say that was nearly 20-odd years ago, or 25 maybe. I do not know. Maybe it was not that long ago. It was talking about legacy.”
“That is a very basic reform that should not bring the whole house down. Then there would not be a vacuum in terms of the Parliament meeting after an election.”
“On the reform of politics in Northern Ireland, I raised the issue with all the political parties last week when I was in Belfast. I spoke about this a number of years ago at the Alliance Party's annual dinner but I favour reform of strand 1 of the Good Friday Agreement in respect of enabling politics to work better. I think there is greater confidence in some parties. Sinn Féin is saying it is going to produce proposals in respect of that and people are awaiting those. That is a new position but it is important. The DUP is saying it is not as enthusiastic about this, to put it mildly. The Alliance, the SDLP and other parties are. Again, the parties themselves need to get together to discuss this. For example, the Assembly should meet immediately after an election and a speaker should be elected.”
“The Department has concentrated a lot on getting a very quick turnover of passport applications if everything is in order and so on. The speed of response is quite significant and that is positive. Deputy Boyd Barrett raised Lough Neagh and again shared island funding has been made available to help with the pollution there. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, and the shared island unit have had good engagement with the Minister of agriculture in the North, Andrew Muir. He is certainly doing everything he possibly can to deal with what is a chronic situation with the lough. Again, we have sought to pool our resources and bring experts together to try to identify what is the best way to try to deal with this pollution, which is shocking and chronic and really undermining what the lough has to offer.”
“I would have to examine that in greater detail but we should be careful of overly intervening in the sporting world. It has worked out its frameworks over a long number of years and we should respect the sporting bodies in that regard. I would like to see what it has to say about the issues involved. Deputy Conway-Walsh raised a dedicated Passport Office. This has been a hardy annual for some years. It is all online now. That is the direction of travel. If you look at the statistics, they are overwhelming. The Department of foreign affairs has been of the view for quite some time and has moved away from the establishment of any new physical offices for symbolic reasons because the bulk of applications come in online. That is the Department's view and I have a lot of sympathy with it.”
“I do not have an exact timeline for phase 3 but it is going to happen and we will be funding that right to the end as well. It is great that through the shared island initiative, the county councils, about 25 of them, are looking at feasibility studies and how best we can have joint projects between the councils. Moving to Deputy Ó Murchú, the road user levy did not come up at the last North-South Ministerial Council. I met all the Northern parties last week but I will pursue it. How we can intervene in that is an open question but I hear what the Deputy is saying in respect of it and the additional costs it entails. I think Deputy O'Rourke was saying Athletics Ireland was negative in terms of what he was suggesting about the same rules that apply to the Olympics applying to the world championships and the 1934 rule.”
“I was in Altnagelvin some years ago and met a Donegal man who literally had about a 15-minute drive to Altnagelvin. He had to get a stent in because he had a cardiac event. Under our strategies here, that person could have had to go to Galway, in theory, whereas this makes so much more sense. The cancer centre in Altnagelvin that we helped fund some years ago is a superb opportunity and a service for people. Deputy Devlin mentioned, I think, Dún Laoghaire and Bangor. Again, that cross-Border corridor is extremely important. The Enterprise service has been superb. There has been a 40% increase in the number of people because the shared island initiative funded the hourly service. We want to continue to fund those economic corridors.”
“That is a very exciting potential partnership and again we stand ready to support that. They are working on it. Deputy McGreehan made a point on the health service. There has been progress under CAWT, which she is probably familiar with, and on cancer and on heart at Altnagelvin, along with dialysis to some degree. More and more, particularly in the north west, we should be looking at really making it a whole health area. That would be my view. Instead of expecting people to travel all the way to Galway from Donegal, Sligo or all along the north east, it makes sense that we would synergise and use up the capacities. We can resource some of that and we are prepared to resource that through shared island funding because everybody benefits - citizens North and South benefit.”
“We are keeping an eye on it insofar as we want it to be true to the joint framework agreement. I am clear in my head that this is the opportunity to get a legacy Bill through that can sustain, and this current Government is the government in Britain that can deliver that. We have no guarantee that any future government, whatever configuration that might be, will be as disposed to the kind of legacy Bill we have in front of us. That needs to be said, and I say it straight. That is the reality of it, and we are continuing to work with the British Government to make sure it stays faithful to what was agreed. I think Queen's and Dundalk is an exciting proposal. I was up there giving the annual David Trimble lecture, and I met the heads of Queen's and Dundalk Institute of Technology.”
“Likewise, if we can get the right bodies to focus on the issue of loneliness, which is a significant socialisation issue and has an impact on health, we will be willing to work on that. We have made a lot of progress on the legacy agreement, which was raised by Deputy Smith. I say to all concerned that this is the opportunity to get this Bill through. He is correct to say that the previous Bill was deficient and the previous British Government did not consult as widely as it should have initially. It had measures in that Bill that were completely unacceptable. There has been a complete change in approach by the current British Government compared with what occurred prior to that. We need to acknowledge that. It is still going through Westminster.”
“I thank all Deputies for the issues they raised. Bhí an Teachta Moynihan ag caint faoi Chonradh Aoine an Chéasta agus go háirithe an cinneadh a rinneamar maidir leis an oileán comhroinnte. He spoke about the shared island initiative and the decision in respect of it. He asked if loneliness could come under that umbrella. It certainly could. We have had discussions with the Minister of Health in the North about public health interventions under shared island. We can try to get the right organisations together North and South, as we have in the area of domestic violence where the National Women's Council Ireland is working with Women's Aid in the North. We have already funded joint projects between the two in respect of that issue.”
“On 8 May, along with Government colleagues, I attended the 31st plenary meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council, hosted by the Northern Ireland Executive in Armagh. This was the fifth such meeting since the restoration of the Good Friday Agreement institutions in 2024. The agenda included discussions on shared challenges and opportunities relevant to both jurisdictions, including tackling gender-based violence and the potential areas where we can work together to eliminate this shockingly prevalent problem North and South. In November last year, we agreed €5.9 million in shared island funding to strengthen the existing co-operation between our emergency and fire services. The next meeting will be 15 June.”
“The principles and purpose of the Agreement remain central to what my Government does and how we foster relationships across these islands, including through the shared island initiative. Also on 7 May, the shared island initiative report on 2025 was published. During 2025, the Government made funding commitments of over €100 million from the shared island fund for new multi-annual programmes that deepen co-operation and connections across the island, including on sustainable tourism, nature restoration, civic society co-operation, emergency response, a new Dublin-Derry airlink service and a shared island media fund as well as significant investment in arts and cultural programmes.”
“Prime Minister Starmer and I agreed a statement reflecting the overall theme of the summit, Shared Prosperity, Shared Seas, Shared Ties, which set out achievements over the past year and looked ahead to future work together of mutual benefit to Ireland and the United Kingdom. On 7 May, I was pleased to return to Belfast. My visit included opportunities to hear directly from political, business and civic leaders and to discuss ongoing and evolving all-island priorities. While in Belfast, I was delighted to participate in a joint event at Grand Central Station to mark the signing of a €700 million contract for a new fleet of Enterprise trains and related rail infrastructure. I was also pleased to deliver the Lord David Trimble lecture in Queen's University. David played a critical role in the achievement of the Good Friday Agreement.”
“On 12 and 13 March, the UK-Ireland summit took place in Cork. The summit plenary saw a wide-ranging discussion on achievements to date under the UK-Ireland 2030 programme of strategic co-operation and on shared ambitions to see co-operation deepen and deliver across a range of areas, including energy security and the transition to clean energy, security, the protection of subsea infrastructure, cybersecurity and competitiveness, as well as our people-to-people ties. We also discussed wider international issues, including the situation in the Middle East, the Gulf region and Ukraine.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 15, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland oversees implementation of relevant programme for Government commitments and ongoing developments in relation to Northern Ireland, Irish-British relations, and the shared island initiative. It considers issues relevant to the Government’s position as a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, including our role in Good Friday Agreement institutions such as the North-South Ministerial Council, the British-Irish Council and the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. Topics for discussion also include the annual UK-Ireland summits and their agreed programme of work and the continued roll-out and development of the investment, research and dialogue strands of the shared island initiative.”
“That has choked up again and has been restricted. This is a grievous thing to be doing. It is an appalling thing for the Israeli Government to be doing because people are still starving and do not have proper shelter in Gaza. There are quite a number of international citizens, including Irish citizens, on board the flotilla raising awareness about the injustices of what is happening in Gaza and in the West Bank itself. Ireland has been very clear on this. It is at European Union level that the greatest impact can be made, and with the United States Government, to have pressure and leverage on Israel to stop doing what it is doing. It is acting with reckless abandon and, in my view, is consistently in breach of international humanitarian law.”
“I agree in terms of the appalling nature of this act. Worse is the fact that Israel is not allowing appropriate and sufficient aid into Gaza. Notwithstanding the Board of Peace and the first phase of the agreement being implemented early on, and aid was getting in-----”
“We need to make sure we get the balance right in terms of the different energy sources, so that we can get costs down permanently for people. That might involve trade-offs but we can discuss that when the planning statement comes along.”
“Work is under way between the Department of energy and climate and the Department of housing in terms of a planning statement, which has replaced the format for guidelines. Remember this same Department had to work on the planning on exempted developments, which was quite a significant piece of work, on the rural housing guidelines, which are imminent, and on short-term lets. There is a lot of work going on there. I do think we need somewhat of a conversation or debate about energy. I make this point generally. We had to allocate €750 million a couple of weeks ago to help people pay for their energy costs because of the importation of fossil fuels and the incredible rise in prices, which is impacting people. Renewables give us a pathway to reduce costs for everybody.”
“I have witnessed recently that where we had greater Garda visibility on streets, the psychological impact was amazing. People felt safer because of that.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this. He has a particular focus on this issue. I will speak to the Minister for justice. Generally speaking, we support what the Deputy said. The numbers are increasing of those coming through Templemore recruitment centre and college, which is good. There was an initial focus on Dublin and cities but that will change. There is now an increasing allocation to rural areas. In terms of a recruitment and dispersal strategy, I take fully on board what the Deputy is saying. I will also pick up on his point that perhaps we need to look at the policing model for rural Ireland and work with local community safety partnerships and local stakeholders in rural Ireland to see what is the best way to deploy resources to enable people to feel safe.”
“I appreciate the point the Deputy is making and I have a lot of empathy with what he is saying. They were last revised about three years ago, maybe a bit longer, and I think the threshold for qualification for social housing went up about €5,000. I know the Minister for housing is reviewing this. I have spoken to the Minister about this. There are quite a number of working people who are on incomes that would not enable them to get mortgages and so on and who are above the threshold for social housing. I believe it needs to be reviewed upwards.”
“The Deputy keeps interrupting. We advanced it two and a half years ago. He knows we did, yet he just keeps on making false assertions about the Government's approach to this. I do not think that is fair either.”
“Or about anything. I agree what has happened is unacceptable. Everybody does. We are seeking to try to get the Israeli-EU trade association agreement suspended. More states are becoming supportive of the Spanish and Irish position. The Deputy knows damn well we advanced it two---”
“The Deputy knows that the European sanctions against Russia are European, not individual member states'. The same applies to Israel. We have not been able to get unanimity at European Union level in respect of Israel. The Deputy knows that yet he just presents a false picture. By the way, Russia did kidnap thousands and thousands of children.”
“I will talk to the Minister in respect of this. In addition to the physically established special classes, a new inclusive class is being advanced by the Department. It is open to schools. If they have children and young students with special needs, the same principle of one teacher and two SNAs will apply. In advance of a class being established physically, a new innovation has come into being. I will check with the Minister whether Duiske College can be accommodated within that. We are trying to create more classes as well across the length and breadth of the country because the numbers are increasing and we have to meet the need.”
“As we have always done, we work to help and support Irish citizens in any difficult situation. In this case it is absolutely unacceptable. I have condemned what the Israeli military and Israeli Government have done in international waters. We will work extremely hard through our ambassadors to make sure that all Irish citizens are looked after and that they are released immediately. Those are the advocacy and representations we will make to the Israeli Government. I do not accept the Deputy's assertion that it is the Irish Government's fault that the flotilla has been intercepted by Israel. They have been doing that for over two decades.”
“We have benefited enormously from a strategic approach to cancer over the past three decades, going back to the late nineties. That has resulted in significant survival rate improvements and increases in technology and so on. Survival rates for patients have improved greatly. OECD data show that cancer mortality rates in Ireland are falling faster than the EU 27 average and faster than that of our economic peers. The first strategy was 1996. My understanding is that there is a successor to the current ten-year strategy in planning and on the way. There has to be. I will talk to the Minister in terms of the Deputy's raising this issue today. We need to continue with that strategic approach, looking ahead at trends, therapies and how best to deploy them.”
“TAMS is a good potential vehicle for solar but, that said, there are limits under the existing scheme because of the fact that 64,000 applications have been received to date. Three times the number was received.”
“I know the Minister for agriculture is here but I will take it on the basis that this morning, the Cabinet had a discussion on this issue, acknowledging, first of all, the significant take-up of TAMS by farmers in respect of solar. More than 20% of the expenditure overall, out of €160 million, has been on the solar capital investment scheme. That shows there is a real hunger there among farmers. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is engaging with the Minister for agriculture. They will try to work it out together and then we will go to the Minister for public expenditure. In any event, we are onto this and I think there is an issue here. It is an issue for everybody. The more renewables we can install, we can reduce costs for users of energy and that is something we have to do at pace.”