Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The application has been made and is going through due process at the moment. I reiterate that if we are to transition to a low-carbon economy, it is expected that we will require significantly reduced fossil fuels for some time to come. Until we get there, we will still need to have fossil fuels for our families, farmers and businesses. We envisage that exploration will continue to have a role in the Irish offshore. Banning exploration would not reduce Ireland's emissions and would not help our 2030 emissions targets. It would make Ireland 100% dependent on importing gas and oil instead of using our own natural gas. We know that Ireland's indigenous production at the Corrib field is declining. The Kinsale field is approaching the end of its life. Furthermore, importing our energy over long distances from third countries could have the perverse effect of increasing emissions as energy is consumed in delivering this product to Ireland. We have to transition. In the meantime, we have to protect our energy supply and make sure we have enough energy here to keep our families, farms and businesses in existence.

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