Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 15 October 2025
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food
Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion
2:00 am
Mr. Paddy Phelan:
An important piece to add is that on top of the benefits that Mr. O'Brien alluded to there, we have to remember that by producing those molecules of energy in the local community we are displacing imported energy. Over 80% of our energy is imported into this country. We produce it locally. The revenue from that energy stays in the locality. It sees a benefit in local shops, hotels, pubs, clubs and everything. That energy displacement, on top of the operation and maintenance requirements in terms of jobs for 15, 20 or 25 years to operate and run these, requires people. People often forget that displacement value. That money is exported in an oil lorry or through a gas pipe to Russia or the Middle East.