Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 December 2022
117. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the Government supports the siting and building of LNG facilities in this State, specifically in Shannon and Cork in cases in which such facilities specify they will not use fracked gas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62709/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government's position on LNG is set out in the Policy Statement on importing fracked gas which was published in May 2021. The policy statement provides that, pending the outcome of a security of supply review, it would not be appropriate for the development of any LNG terminals in Ireland to be permitted or proceeded with. As set out in the National Energy Security Framework, which was published in April 2022, a review of the energy security of Ireland’s gas and electricity systems is being carried out by my Department, following which the results will be submitted to Government.
The review of the security of energy supply of Ireland’s electricity and gas systems is focused on the period to 2030, but in the context of a sustainable transition to net zero emissions by 2050. It considers potential risks to both our natural gas and electricity supplies and examines a range of measures to mitigate these risks, including the need for additional capacity to import energy, to reduce energy use, energy storage, fuel diversification and renewable gases (such as biomethane and hydrogen).
As part of our review, my Department carried out a consultation seeking views from interested parties on policy measures that could be implemented to support Ireland’s security of supply framework. The consultation closed on Friday 28 October and over 400 responses have been received. The completion of the review is a key priority. I will bring my security of energy supply recommendations to Government once the review process has been completed.
