Ms Marie Donnelly:

That is probably more of an issue for the EU than for Ireland. The Corrib gas field is going to last for another little while. We have the gas pipes coming off it in Scotland that are largely drawing Norwegian gas. It is a big issue for Europe right now with Nord Stream 1 in place and a question as to whether Nord Stream 2 will open, and the trans-Ukrainian pipe. This is likely to become a geopolitical question as much as a climate question. We seem to be heading in this direction more swiftly now than on any previous occasion. As the committee knows, in January 2009, the Russians turned off the trans-Ukrainian pipe for two weeks. It provoked a crisis and then it was resolved. This time it is probably a bigger crisis and a bigger issue. Part of the difficulty is that none of us in the EU is in a position to walk away from gas today. We are working towards that but right now, it is not clear how long that journey will take. That is part of the reason for the geopolitics around gas at the moment.

I also make the point that if we in Ireland continue to use gas, Corrib may end up depleted in a period of time. We have two pipes coming off it in Scotland and that is it. We have no other source of gas in the country. We have no LNG terminal in Ireland. The issue of security of supply if we continue using gas is a real issue that needs to be to the fore of our considerations. While I know the rationale for the gas-fired power stations to maintain the stability of the grid, the Deputy is correct to point to a question mark over the security of the source of the supply of gas over the longer-term for electricity and, ultimately, heating in Europe and Ireland.