Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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I thank the committee for inviting me to today's meeting. It is my first time participating in this committee which does much important work across a range of topics. I thank Deputy Bríd Smith for introducing the Bill. It has stimulated some very important debates on energy security, the use of fossil fuels and particularly their impact on the climate. The committee has heard from a wide range of experts on the matters involved. The topic of climate change is one on which there is almost universal agreement in both Chambers that we need to ramp up our actions and reduce our greenhouse gases as a matter of urgency. Many members of the committee have been already working on the Joint Committee on Climate Action, the findings of which I look forward to seeing in the near future.

Members will be aware the Minister, Deputy Bruton, is preparing an all-of-Government plan which will set out the actions that must be taken to make Ireland a leader in responding to climate change. The plan will develop new initiatives across electricity, transport, heat, agriculture and other relevant sectors, building on the previous actions taken by Government, including the national mitigation plan and the national development plan, and is to be completed by early next year.

In my letter of 26 November to the committee, I set out the energy policy dilemma which requires the balancing of three objectives - energy sustainability, energy security and energy affordability. Unfortunately, the Bill does not score well on these three dimensions.

In terms of sustainability, the proposed ban on exploration in Ireland would not reduce Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions. If the ban had been already law it would not have helped Ireland reach its emissions or renewable energy targets. With regard to energy security, the Bill fails to take account of our energy security. Beyond the Corrib gas field and the soon to be depleted Kinsale gas field, the Bill would make it mandatory for us to import all our oil and gas needs in the future. This is at a time when the European Union's import dependency for natural gas has increased from 43% in 1995 to 70% in 2016. The EU's import dependency on petroleum and petroleum products is 87%. Ireland already has low energy self-sufficiency and a relatively isolated island electricity grid. Given these circumstances I cannot support the Bill in order to send a message. Instead we need credible measures that reduce our use of fossil fuels thereby reducing our emissions and improving our security of supply. The Bill does nothing for energy affordability. It ensures we would forgo any potential economic or fiscal benefit from offshore resources.

Many of these concerns about the Bill were raised by several witnesses during the committee hearings.

When the International Energy Agency addressed the committee, it stated that further oil and gas exploration investment would be required, including when we meet the climate ambition of the Paris Agreement. This is consistent with the forecasts of the European Commission's recent strategic vision for a climate neutral economy by 2050. We cannot ignore these facts. Neither can we ignore the need for further and urgent action on climate change. There are many other measures and steps to take to reduce our emissions without threatening our energy security or competitiveness. This is where our focus should be and it is an area on which I look forward to working with the committee.

I hope the foregoing provides the committee with the context of the amendments I have tabled to the draft report on which we will vote today. In essence, there are several serious concerns arising in relation to the Bill which must be noted. I recommend the Bill should not proceed to the next Stage.