Dr. Ciara Beausang:

Yes. I thank Deputy Bríd Smith for her important question. We cannot continue as if it is business as usual. One of the key priorities will be addressing and reducing our energy demand in the first instance. Under the climate action plan, the target for biomethane is 1.6 TWh by 2030. As far as I understand, that constitutes 3% of our current natural gas supply. If demand for natural gas increases, that percentage will diminish further. It is important that the wider context of energy demand reduction and the need for decarbonisation be considered.

Biomethane will form a relatively small percentage of decarbonisation. What will be equally important for decarbonisation will be other renewable gases like hydrogen. In the roadmap produced by Gas Networks Ireland to 2050, the other key components in decarbonisation will be hydrogen, as well as carbon capture and storage relating to fossil gas. All of these components have a role to play in achieving the targets when biomethane is included.