Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State has been sent in here to take this Topical Issue matter. I do not why we have Topical Issue matters if the Ministers responsible do not show up. There is not really much point. I have been in the situation previously where I have had to answer for other Ministers in the Chamber. There is no point in me having at go at the Minister of State today. I would like to have had a decent discussion with the Minister to try to get to the bones of the issue, but unfortunately that has not happened. I do not know why the Minister is not here. I wish to make the point that the cheese has moved. In the last six days, things have changed. It is okay for Government to change policy when matters of fundamental change occur outside of our control. Yet, from the response the Minister of State has given me, I am convinced that the heads are still very firmly buried in the sand and the sand has gone into the brain at this stage. Europe is so dependent on Russian gas that it is going to impact on this country. We need to have options and we need to be able to look at alternative sources while we get our act together in relation to renewable energy. As long as we continue to deny that and to ignore that reality, we are at risk of the lights going out. I raised the issue three months ago in this Chamber. The Minister, Deputy Ryan, was not available for questions on that occasion either. I told the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smith, not to blame the people of County Kerry or the rest of us if the lights go out. We have done everything that we can to try to progress the Shannon LNG proposal, for example. It has been going on for years now. I met the people of Ballylongford on Monday to discuss the issue again. There was hope that the Government would see sense. Now, we are getting the same drivel back from officials in the Department, who seem to be completely wagging the dog in relation to our energy policy. As far as I can see, they are people who are living in a bunker and do not have any cop on in relation to our energy security. I ask that this crazy policy is reviewed before the lights go out and before people are sitting the dark and the cold in this country because of Government inaction and its determination to ignore reality.

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