Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 April 2023
71. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he can clarify the position in respect of proposals to build a liquefied natural gas, LNG, terminal in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20127/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Minister has now twice made comments that have held the door open to the building of an LNG facility here in the State. I wish to give the Minister an opportunity to state quite clearly his, the Government's and the Green Party's position concerning the building of an LNG facility. I ask this because this aspect begs another question of whether the Minister accepts the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, and the statements of the International Energy Agency, IEA, in this regard. Instead of creating ambiguity, will the Minister please clearly answer the question regarding intentions regarding an LNG facility in the State?
In May 2021, the Government published its policy statement on the importation of fracked gas.
This policy sets out that, pending the outcome of the review of the security of energy supply of Ireland’s electricity and natural gas systems, it would not be appropriate for Ireland to permit or proceed with the development of any LNG terminals. Until the review has been completed, this is and remains the Government's policy position. The review is focused on the period to 2030, but in the context of ensuring a sustainable transition to 2050.
The range of measures being examined as part of the review includes the need for additional capacity to import energy, the use of energy storage, fuel diversification, the demand-side response and the development of renewable alternative gas supplies. My Department is now at an advanced stage of completing this review. A detailed technical analysis has been published and an extensive consultation process has been carried out. The response to the consultation was extensive, with over 450 submissions received from a broad range of individuals and organisations. The consultation responses were reviewed and analysed, and they have provided important insights on a number of aspects such as risks, mitigation options and policy measures.
My Department is preparing energy security recommendations. I will bring my recommendations arising from the review to Government in the coming months for its consideration.
I thank the Minister. I still think the door is being held open. There is still creative ambiguity in the Minister's response. The Business Post reported last week that the Minister had conceded that Ireland needed to build an LNG terminal. This would be a reversal of a key policy of the Green Party because, as the Minister said, the world changed when the Nord Stream gas pipeline was blown up last year.
Most people who are concerned about climate change believe that the basic premise we follow is the science, the IPCC and what scientists globally are telling us to do. We do not need, nor can we afford to have, any new fossil fuel infrastructure built in this State or anywhere else. The ambiguity in the response is that the Minister may be hinting at the idea of a non-commercial State-led LNG terminal as against a commercial enterprise. That makes no difference to the atmosphere, climate and science. Who am I telling? The Minister knows this too well. I ask him to clear up the ambiguity.
There has been no change of policy and there is no intention to open any doors or change any previously held position in any way. What I said was true. The war in Ukraine has changed the world, and the issue of having storage as security backup for our country is something that cannot be ignored. That does not mean that we import fracked gas, or do not live within our climate limits and follow the IPCC. We will not consider facilities which breach those constraints which we have to have first and foremost in our minds. The first security matter we need to get right is that we do not see the planet burning. Nothing has changed in that regard, but it is appropriate and right to for us to consider the short-term storage options we can use to provide security for our people while we switch to renewables and reduce the demand for gas, which is the key measure we will implement in the coming decade.
I reiterate that the Minister is not being explicit and is not clearing up the ambiguity. He is saying that we may well need some form of new fossil fuel infrastructure to store gas. He knows as well as I and anybody else in the House who takes any interest in the science does that it does not matter whether it is fracked gas or any other kinds of gas, it still emits methane and far too much CO2 due to storage and use. We do not need any more fossil fuel infrastructure. We do not have a shortage of gas. We need to build on renewables. The Minister has been in Europe doing that, but he needs to explicitly state what his intentions are. He may have said that the world has changed because of the war and so on, but apparently he also said Ireland may need to build an LNG terminal. Can he please clarify that and rule it out completely? Is he in a position to indicate that he will not reverse the policy of the Government or his party or the demand of the climate movement that there will be no new fossil fuel infrastructure in this country?
We will have no new fossil fuel infrastructure in this country that sees us breaching our climate limits. We are currently building emergency gas-fired generation, which is new fossil fuel infrastructure, but it is only being agreed on and provided for on a security basis as long as we know it will not lead to us breaching our emissions limits.
I would argue that there is an issue around the deployment of fracked gas. It is important that we continue with the approach that has been taken in the House over a number of years and say that we do not import fracked gas. That is a secondary issue. At the same time, we have to consider the short-term measures. Over the course of the decade, we will start to see the ramping up of renewables here. The introduction of heat pumps in our heating systems will see the demand for gas drop. This will bring us out of an insecure situation whereby we are dependent on such fossil fuels. The first priority and certainty is that we will do nothing which will see us breaching the climate commitments we are by Irish and European law committed to delivering on. No storage or other security system will be successful if it breaches those limits.
