Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Tánaiste on the benefits, particularly for the west, but I must argue that her total commitment is not a fair reflection of the reality on the ground. These companies coming to Ireland want 100% renewable power. The Government has just presented a report which plans for the next 13 years and states we will only aim to keep the existing level of renewable power. EirGrid states we could get up to 75% in that timeframe, which would provide all the power to run these centres, but the Government does not seem to believe in it, which is one of the reasons we are at the bottom of the climate change league. Similarly, the Government pulled back the development of the grid to the north-west, including the Mayo and Galway area, and pulled back from the development of wind power there that could have powered the Athenry plant. One of the reasons it went to Denmark is not just that it was stuck in the planning system but that the company realised that in Denmark it was dealing with a government which believed in this renewable, low-carbon future. In this country, especially in Fine Gael, there seems to be an ideological opposition to the transition to a low-carbon 100% renewable future. Why is this?

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