Pat McDonagh also predicted that the soaring cost of energy and other inputs would lead to up to 10% of smaller catering focused businesses closing over the next six months.
Mr McDonagh, who operates the fast-food chain, a number of hotels and several motorway plazas, said the business had experienced a 150% increase in energy costs this year ."So where we were paying 14.9 cent a unit last December, that went in January to 38 cent per unit, then we went back to 26 cent per unit and now it has gone up to 38 cent again with the expectation level that it is going to go to close to 50 cent before Christmas," he claimed.
The plants closed in December 2020 and the ESB plans to demolish them to make way for electrical grid system support technology hubs. "Now I think it is as a directive from the European Union, but we are in a crisis situation, and in a crisis situation sometimes decisions have to be made. It is green energy, there is nothing wrong with it, it can be turned on in the morning, and why not do that," he urged.
It would be helpful if the commissioner for energy regulation and the govt took notice of comments from people in business such as Pat mc Donagh.the reopening if those stations would help with extra capacity for the national grid.