Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their opening statements.

I was concerned last year when the CRU attended a meeting of the committee and would not rule out the future building of LNG terminals or infrastructure of that sort in Ireland. Today it seems there is even stronger advocacy of the building of LNG terminals to ensure energy security. The reason I am concerned is that this comes in the context of the fact that one of the biggest and most stable ice shelves in Antarctica collapsed recently and scientists are recording record temperatures 30°C above average in the Arctic and 40°C above average in Antarctica caused by emissions and an over-reliance on fossil fuels. Yet we hear today that the CRU is advocating the building of LNG infrastructure to ensure energy security, despite the fact that, as Mr. McEvilly stated, we are trying to reduce our reliance on and our use of gas. Therefore, we question the purpose of an LNG terminal into the future. I am concerned about that, especially on the back of our fantastic session last week on the potential of storage, be that battery storage or green hydrogen, and its use to ensure energy security. We had a very good session on what we can do on the demand side, which is a lot. We have had numerous sessions on the enormous potential of renewables, particularly offshore floating wind. The CRU itself mentioned in its opening statement the fact that two more interconnectors are coming online, one of which the regulator expects to be constructed by 2024, which will, I hope, allow a two-way transmission of power, perhaps harnessing our renewable energy. Surely the focus should be on that technology as opposed to the building of LNG infrastructure. I said last week to EirGrid that we are hearing commentary on the reopening of the peat-powered plants and the bogs, which I absolutely disagree with. I hope the CRU would not advocate that.

The other commentary we are hearing is on drilling for gas and oil off the Irish coast. EirGrid would not rule that out. By the time we invest in the technologies and explore for oil and gas off the coast of Ireland, we will have established one of the best offshore renewable systems in the world. Surely, therefore, we should be veering away from the former and focusing on renewable, clean energy. I would like a comment on that, not only from the CRU but also from any of the other witnesses who wish to comment.