Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

To set out Sinn Féin's position on the Bill and following on from what was said on Second Stage, I asked that renewable energy alternatives be specified in the report. The report poses the question as to whether sufficient renewables are coming on stream to protect us against future security of supply concerns. We asked if it is right to use fossil fuels from other countries while allowing no further exploration in Irish waters. We have posed that question for a reason. I want to see the Bill proceed but there are a number of weaknesses in that it does not set out direct replacements for fossil fuel. One cannot stop doing one thing without having a replacement. Do we continue to import from other states such as Russia? There is a lack of morality in that and it would make the Bill more of a gesture if it was passed in its current form. We need to create direct alternatives in the form of biogas, biomass, wind, solar, hydro, etc., and we need to link the Bill to renewable energy production. The Bill is linked to the monthly mean level of atmospheric carbon dioxide measured at the Mauna Loa Observatory. It also needs to be linked to our production of renewables.

While the Bill should proceed, as I stated on Second Stage in the Chamber a couple of months ago, it does not make sense to continue producing greenhouse gas emissions using another country's fossil fuels. To do so would be even more damaging because of the additional carbon miles involved. We want to stop bringing in oil, coal or whatever else from other countries and we want to accelerate the creation of alternatives, but if we do not put the alternatives in place quickly, we are not just burning fossil fuel from other countries but adding to greenhouse gas emissions because the oil, coal and other sources of fuel will have substantial carbon miles clocked up. We produced the document, Powering Ireland 2030, about our energy supply, based on over a year's research, in which we set out that we should move from nearly 80% dependency on fossil fuels to 20% dependency by 2030. That is the direction in which Sinn Féin wants to go. The Bill should proceed and I will oppose some of the amendments because they would stop it in its tracks. I believe the intent behind the Bill is good and it can be amended successfully.