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

Deputy Smith is right that one can do things. It is one of the reasons that in government I was very proud, as a member of the European Council, to put real pressure on the European Commission in recent weeks to change the EU taxonomy rules away from favouring investment in gas systems, recognising that we must keep that gas in the ground, and keep the oil and coal in the ground, if we are to meet our climate challenges. They were real and effective changes we were able make in government. I am glad that we have delivered on the programme for Government commitment and have agreement with our colleagues. We have just issued a statement committing that we would stop these LNG terminals, and saying that the Government is not supporting them.

Critically, as well as internationally and through those policy statements, the third way is in building up the alternative. We saw with the ESB and with Equinor the start of a concept of developing hydrogen facilities, instead of LNG, in the same location. That would give a secure economic future for the region and for the country in a low-climate way. It is to make that switch-----

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