Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is clear from the Minister's reply that we are not moving quickly enough. There has been a succession of pilot schemes, but we are only scratching the surface. The national mitigation plan 2017 restates the Government's commitment to replace fossil fuels, but it is now relying on natural gas. The Corrib gas field has less than a ten-year lifespan. We will be relying on the use of imported gas and onshore wind energy. Where is the plan for offshort wind energy projects? It is not being developed. There is no feed-in tariff for solar energy projects; one cannot be connected to the grid to supply surplus solar energy supplies. A company in County Laois has 40 other companies lined up to feed into the grid, but it cannot gain access. I have previously outlined the need to switch to biogas in agriculture. We are scratching at the surface and I am asking the Government to up its game. All of society needs to up its game. We need clear action plans to make the transition necessary. We have lost three, four or five years and now need to play catch-up and make a serious start in moving from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources.

See this speech in context