Sinn Féin spokesperson on Climate Justice Senator Lynn Boylan has welcomed the government’s consultation on a microgeneration scheme but cautioned against unnecessary barriers blocking access to ordinary people.

Speaking today, Senator Boylan said:

“The microgeneration consultation is a welcome development. Sinn Féin have campaigned for years for microgeneration and introduced legislation in the form of Brian Stanley’s Microgeneration Support Scheme Bill as far back as 2017.

“Microgeneration has the potential to spread the benefits of the transition throughout society. That outcome is not automatically guaranteed, and devil is in the detail.

“We look forward to making a submission to the consultation which seeks to ensure we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past with wind energy – we need real engagement and to share the benefits of the renewables transition widely.

“We want to see that there are no unnecessary barriers to accessing the scheme and where they do exist, that there are supports to overcome them.

“Done right, this scheme could ensure that ordinary people play an important role in the transition and that renewables benefit their lives in a tangible way.”