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

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February is unprecedented in Europe in modern times. The war has, and will continue to have, significant impacts for the world, for the European Union and for Ireland. It has caused a humanitarian catastrophe, with millions of Ukrainian citizens internally and externally displaced. Efforts have been consolidated across the Government to address these emerging and urgent humanitarian issues in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

The invasion has also impacted Europe's energy system. In particular, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered a decision by the European Union to phase out its dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal imports as soon as possible. The immediate impacts of that include an effect on the price that we pay for energy. However, it will also impact where and how we source that energy and will alter how we design energy policy going forward to ensure the long-term resilience of the system.

The Government is acutely aware of rising electricity and gas prices and the consequent effect on households. This is driven by high international gas prices. Our immediate response has been to utilise the tax and social welfare system in the budget last year to counter rising costs of living for households. Additionally, in recognition of the ongoing inflationary pressures on households we have introduced a credit payment to each domestic electricity account amounting to €200. Approximately 2.1 million account holders will benefit from the payment in the coming weeks. This is one of a range of new measures as part of a €505 million package of measures announced by the Government on 10 February to mitigate the wider cost-of-living increases.

Extensive arrangements are already in place to manage any interruptions to gas, electricity and oil supplies and these are being re-examined by my Department and the relevant agencies in the context of the impacts of the war in Ukraine on international energy supplies. I hope we may be able to publish some of this energy security framework in the coming weeks to show exactly what are the measures we may have to employ to cope should there be any further disruption in supplies.

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