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

I thank all the representatives for coming. I apologise for just arriving and firing questions at them that have probably been asked. If they have, I ask our guests to indulge me and give some brief answers to them.

My first question is in the context of our rising emissions, which shot up by 12% in the final months of last year. This was the complete opposite to most other European countries. We are an outlier among the 27 member states with our emissions heading in the wrong direction. I have listened to this discussion, and taken into account all the planning and development of offshore wind, which is very important and the way to go, etc. The witnesses may reference commercial sensitivity and all the rest of it, but is there a coherent, integrated plan for what companies go into what port? Are the ports competing against each other? In that sense, is it a mishmash of who gets to grab what company, of the ones that have been given licences and may commercially organise offshore wind? As offshore wind is not a national, State-owned enterprise, it could be a mishmash of different companies in different ports. Is there any rational, joined-up thinking about who goes where, and when and how? Is it a case that each port is competing with the others? That is not helpful for transport, emissions or our plan for the future.

On liquefied natural gas, LNG, terminals, the Business Post recently reported that the port of Cork has signed heads of agreement with a US firm to explore the possibility of setting up a floating LNG facility in Cork harbour.

The answer may be - but it is not what I want to hear - that it is not fracked gas and that it is just other kinds of gas. But whether it is fracked or not, we need to take account of what the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the International Energy Agency are saying, which is that there can be no new fossil fuel infrastructure in any country if we are really to deal with the catastrophe that is facing us. After all, that is what this committee is all about. Therefore, as well as commenting on the Port of Cork, can each witness address whether they would allow or welcome or if they are in discussion on any LNG company about terminals like this on their sites? Do they think it is compatible with our just transition targets and our targets to reduce emissions?