Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This is a story of hope and positivity, as not so long ago it seemed offshore wind generation and solar panels were too expensive but we have seen the cost of the production of energy from such sources reducing dramatically. We all very much hope the same will happen with green hydrogen. As the Minister of State has acknowledged, we certainly have an opportunity to build out renewables through green hydrogen, among other technologies. This might even allow Ireland to become a green hydrogen exporter in place of being an importer of fossil fuels to generate the energy we need.

I very much welcome the ambitious target on the generation of electricity through renewables and I am very conscious of the vision increasingly being promoted around the world of electrifying everything as a way of ensuring we can move to a carbon-neutral or zero-carbon economy and society around the world. The technologies are there or are being developed to decarbonise electricity and they could ensure that electricity powers all the human activities that have for far too long been powered by fossil fuels.

See this speech in context