Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I know that he appreciates that the proposal from Longford County Council is far-reaching and on the button as we work on climate action and towards our hefty 2030 targets. There is considerable debate in County Longford on the future of the now dormant Lough Ree energy plant. Local man and engineer, John Hanley, has ambitious plans for an energy hub on the site. A transition to a renewable gas network for high energy use industries would certainly create the opportunity to potentially utilise the existing infrastructure at the ESB Lanesborough site. Crucially, the proposal would also increase the attractiveness of Longford as a destination for inward investment in line with identified Project Ireland 2040 rural development initiatives. As the Minister of State correctly said, just transition is important for the midlands but, crucially, it needs to do exactly what it says on the tin. For half a century, Longford and the midlands were the cradle of Ireland's energy production. Extending the gas line, the development of an anaerobic digester and the creation of an alternative energy hub on the grounds of Lough Ree power plant would certainly put the county back centre stage in the quest for decarbonisation.

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