Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action to discuss LNG gas and oil prospecting

The meeting at 11am in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House will hear from Mr Gergely Molnar, Gas Analyst with the International Energy Agency (IEA), and Professor Barry McMullin from Dublin City University (DCU).

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Brian Leddin said: “The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent disruption to the European and global gas and oil markets has intensified discussions around energy security, including in Ireland. This has included calls from some quarters for the development of LNG (liquified natural gas) storage in this country as contingency against any future energy supply shocks.

“However, any proposed development of such infrastructure and reliance on LNG, even in an emergency, should be judged against our goal to transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy and be carbon neutral by 2050. The Committee looks forward to hearing from Mr Molnar and Professor McMullan on LNG, oil prospecting and related matters.”

The Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

The meeting in Committee Room 3 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.