Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

The issue raised by all Members of the House is the most serious facing us at present. Every single house, including every farmhouse, and every factory, office and building depends on energy. If in the next few weeks, months or years there is an energy crisis in which the supply is cut altogether, which could well happen for all we know, Government policy should kick in immediately. Instead of denigrating the Opposition and its so-called inadequacies, the Government would be far better taking on board what it has to say and putting it into operation. After all, this is what it is attempting to do in any case.

Over the past four years, the Government, with everybody else, has been aware of the international difficulties that have arisen, but it did nothing about them. It could have done so and could have focused research on this area. All the research was done by private individuals and third level institutions of their own volition. Only in recent times did Sustainable Energy Ireland do its bit. The Government has stood aloof regarding the matter and it is only in the past few weeks that it suddenly woke up to the fact that there could be an energy crisis. If there is one, we will be heavily dependent on imports, which is not desirable.

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