Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Our remit was ignored, I am afraid.

I want to come back to the question of the role of the climate advisory council. One of its roles is to provide policy evaluation to Government based on the best available science. My question pertains to the advice that Professor FitzGerald provided to the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment on the future of gas and oil exploration in a letter date 20 September 2019. Professor FitzGerald used what he called "compelling" evidence from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, about the combustion of known reserves of natural gas. That line was used to justify the continued exploration for oil and gas, and especially gas, off our shores. The scientists Professor FitzGerald is supposed to refer to, such as those in Oil Change International, have told us they have seen the letter and that there was particular isolated use of the letter. One of the points Professor FitzGerald stated is that natural gas has been identified internationally as an important transitional fuel. The scientists state that there is a formidable body of evidence to show that they have a diametrically opposed position. The response of oil and gas was to state that the letter that Professor FitzGerald used considering each fossil fuel in isolation vis-à-viscarbon budgets has no reasonable scientific basis. I have every respect for Professor FitzGerald and his job, but his council is made up mainly of economists, not of scientists. Professor FitzGerald's role to use the best science available to advise the Government was not properly used in this case, particularly in relation to gas exploration.