Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 June 2026
8. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the timeline to enact the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44544/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is now a year and five months since Storm Éowyn wreaked havoc on this country and caused so much damage. We were promised at that time that the Government would take effective measures to implement the learnings from this storm. I welcome the Minister's major commitment to upgrade energy infrastructure and to very substantial funding. There is also a need to implement new legislative measures, with particular regard to the relationship between forestry and power lines. I would like to know what the status of that legislation is because we do not want to be in a position where another storm happens and many areas of country are without electricity again.
I thank Deputy Smith for raising this important matter. The Bill to which he refers, the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2025, is being progressed by my Department as part of a wider programme of work to strengthen the resilience of Ireland's electricity network in the context of climate change and increasingly severe storms. Lessons have and must continue to be learned from Storm Éowyn. We have seen significant work done in relation to the clearing of forestry corridors and debris. That work is under way.
The overarching objective is to ensure that overhead electricity networks and forestry can coexist in a manner that delivers a secure, reliable and climate-resilient electricity supply for homes, businesses and communities. The Bill will make provisions for a number of amendments, which include enhanced proactive vegetation management measures to protect the electricity network, including powers to clear vegetation likely to interfere with the network; the establishment and maintenance of forestry corridors to improve resilience and operational safety for the network; and statutory regulation of future forestry planting in proximity to the electricity network.
The Bill is informed by lessons learned from Storm Éowyn and other severe weather events where we have seen specific vulnerabilities in parts of the country.
The proposed legislation seeks to provide a clear statutory framework to facilitate the proactive management of vegetation and forestry risks, while balancing environmental considerations, forestry interests and the rights of landowners. That is under way while, as the Deputy has recognised, we are investing in critical grid infrastructure across the country.
The updated draft heads of Bill are currently being revised and the team in my Department continues to engage, as a matter of priority, with stakeholders, in particular the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, but also ESB Networks, forestry representatives, landowner organisations and the Office of the Attorney General.
I thank the Minister for his reply. It should not be rocket science to bring forward these new legislative measures. The initial legislation in this area in this State is the Electricity (Supply) Act 1927, which was amended in 1999 to address the relationship between forestry and transmission lines. For years, I have raised in this House the difficulties facing communities, especially those in my county of Cavan, and also across Leitrim and into Sligo. Year after year, during lesser storms than Storm Éowyn, trees were falling and bringing down power lines. I could be certain every January and February that I would have numerous calls from constituents who were without power due to forestry falling on power lines. This issue should have been addressed before Storm Éowyn. I know the Minister is prioritising it but legislation at official level moves far too slowly. This has to be given priority, as he said. There is no reason this type of legislation should not be enacted quickly and effectively. The last thing we want is to have forestry continuing to damage our critical infrastructure, including telecoms and ESB lines.
I agree with the Deputy. This is a priority. It needs to move quicker but there are a lot of stakeholders. To be frank about it, this is being made more complex than it should be because we are respecting the views of other stakeholders. We need to ensure the regulatory changes needed for new forestry are in place because the State is not going to be able to, nor should it, manage every private forest or private piece of land in the country. The State should not pay for it all either. The agreement with the Irish Farmers Association that was in place, which was a relatively loose agreement on forestry management, needs to be updated and put in legislation. We are operating under the 1927 Act and grey areas have been identified with respect to right of access. We are bottoming those out now. I met my team earlier this week. We are dependent on other stakeholders and Departments to work with us, which they are doing, but this needs to be done really quickly. I share the Deputy's sense of frustration with the pace heretofore but I assure him the legislation is being afforded priority. We need to get it done.
I thank the Minister for his reply. I cannot emphasise enough the priority that needs to be attached to this. We know the horrendous hardship and suffering that were inflicted on so many individuals, families and communities. Unfortunately, that also happened prior to Storm Éowyn. We are going to have more severe weather events, according to all predictions. Whatever needs to be done, the relevant measures have to be put in place rapidly. Under no circumstances can we have this idea that people can plant land up to other people's houses and all of that. There has to be strict regulation. Also, where the Department of agriculture is paying out premiums for forestry, it should have an inspection regime to ensure forests are properly maintained.
Absolutely.
It is the lack of maintenance that has allowed trees and forestry to cause so much damage. What has happened previously cannot be allowed continue. I implore the Minister again to emphasise to the stakeholders, namely, other Departments and the statutory agencies, that this legislation has to be prioritised.
I take this opportunity to pay tribute, as I did in 2025, to members of the emergency services who worked in very difficult circumstances to try to help families and communities, especially in ESB Networks.
The work of our emergency services is exceptional. We saw the difficulties they had to operate under following recent storms, including Storm Chandra and Storm Éowyn.
This work needs to be concluded. There is complexity in it. I hate even using the word because it seems like it is an excuse, but there is genuine complexity here. It involves updating legislation but also updating the operation and management of forestry. I agree with the Deputy completely that forestry owners have an absolute responsibility. That is why we need to get agreement now that we want re-afforestation across the country, with forests planted and maintained in such a way that we do not create a problem further down the road. We have nearly concluded that work and I will be convening stakeholders again in the next week or so. I expect to bring heads of Bill back to the Government well in advance of the summer recess. I completely understand the urgency of this legislation and I will keep the Deputy directly informed. I am aware of the impact this issue has had on areas of the country where there are large amounts of forestry, including the Deputy's area. Some of that forestry has not been managed or managed appropriately. I will keep him directly informed.
With the permission of the House the next question, which is in the name of Deputy Barry Ward, will be taken by Deputy Kyne.
