Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

First, I can assure the Deputy that we will be taking the actions necessary to achieve the net zero target of 2050 and will deliver on our obligations in 2030. The only way that we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels is by reducing the 84% current dependence. We use only 16% renewables. The rest is coming from fossil fuels. We need to develop real policies that will see a shift in our dependence on fossil fuels, in electricity, transport, heat and in all those other sectors that use them. I have committed to 70% renewables for electricity. That will need huge changes in access, for example, for offshore wind energy to the grid. We will be making the necessary legislative, consenting and support changes required to achieve this.

Let us be absolutely honest with people. Preventing new domestic sources of gas being found will not reduce our greenhouse emissions by 1 g. That is the reality. All it will do is that it will change our dependence on domestic sourced gas to dependence on overseas gas or overseas oil. The impact of reduced exploration, if it is to be achieved in higher oil prices, which I presume is the Deputy's objective, will mean that we will be paying more to sheiks in Saudi Arabia or oligarchs in Russia. We have other tools to bring up the price of fossil fuels and influence the decisions that people make through a carbon price. If we apply a carbon price, the revenue from that money will come back to the Exchequer to be used to do the things Deputy Howlin pointed out that we need to do. We have methods to address this, through both incentives to people to change and to develop the technologies and strategies that are necessary.

It is worth bearing in mind that the Citizens' Assembly did not recommend that this be adopted and it was not one of its recommendations. It is not in the Oireachtas committee's report. It is not in those documents for a good reason. We need real policies to change this. The only countries which have taken the position Deputy Eamon Ryan is advocating for Ireland are France, with its huge nuclear resource, and New Zealand, with its huge geothermal and hydro resources. We do not have those resources. We are 84% dependent on fossil fuels and, therefore, have to develop a pathway that is consistent with the challenges we face. In the short to medium term, it is best that while we remain highly dependent on fossil fuels, we should minimise our dependence on imported resources.

Where we can supplement the resources coming from the Corrib field, it would be a good outcome to do so. As the Deputy correctly states, we will be moving away from fossil fuels in the long term. It is all about picking the interventions that impose the least burden on the community now and open up the greatest opportunity. That is the approach I will be taking.

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