Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have not yet had an opportunity to offer my apologies. Unfortunately, I had a clashing engagement at the start of the meeting today and that is why I could not be present. I thank Deputy Lahart, who took the chair for the opening part of the meeting.

To follow up on what Professor FitzGerald stated, if the logic is that natural gas will be used in years to come and that emissions will be pumped back into the ground, then there is obviously a benefit to the country in having a natural gas supply, particularly if we are going to use it and can capture emissions by means of the process he outlined. There would obviously be a major cost to us if we had to bring that gas from somewhere else. Effectively, continuing to allow gas exploration is a plus-plus situation.