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

In 2019 this House declared a climate emergency. Last year we passed legislation to keep oil and gas in the ground through the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act although it did not apply to existing exploration licences. That Act commits us to a legally binding path to net zero by 2050. Later today we will debate the annual transition statements. We are waiting on the Government's sectoral target ceilings. Here in Ireland, the Government is not acting quickly enough and we know that globally swift enough action is not being taken. Four critical climate indicators broke records last year: greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rises, ocean heat, and ocean acidification. Extreme weather events with record heat waves and extended droughts across the world amount to dangerous warning signs that urgent action is needed. Real and urgent action is required in Ireland to reduce our emissions. We know how far off track Ireland is and the recent EPA report tells us this. As red greens we in Labour believe that Ireland must, as quickly as possible, develop our renewable energy resources and future proof our society from reliance on fossil fuels and that is the appropriate path to take, not the promotion of extraction of new oil and gas. That is why the Labour Party cannot support this motion. We believe there must be a just transition to meet the necessary climate targets to which we have signed up.

Rarely do we see a Private Members' motion in this House that could have been written by a private company engaged in oil exploration. The motion before us wilfully ignores the overwhelming evidence that we – all of us on this planet - must wean ourselves off fossil fuels as quickly as possible. Drilling in the Irish Sea is not a short or even medium-term solution to the current cost of living crisis, the rising prices of fuel, or the very valid concerns about energy security. The horrific war in Ukraine, waged by Putin, is a wake-up call for Europe on our dependency on Russian fossil fuels and the urgent need to decarbonise. It is not credible to argue now is the time to restart the long-term exploration and exploitation of fossil fuels in Irish waters. Let us not forget that this motion is not about oil that is sitting there ready to be extracted as though a tap can be turned on. Were it to proceed, it would be many years, if at all, before any fuel might be extracted, even if that were desirable or appropriate.

Providence Resources wants to be granted a "lease undertaking license" so to drill an appraisal well in the Barryroe oil field. If it was granted, reports say it would then have to begin raising $65 million to finance that well. According to the company, even if everything worked out production would only begin from mid-2026. This optimistic scenario from the company’s point of view still offers no immediate or even medium-term benefits for our energy security. Therefore, even if we leave aside the huge climate issue, which we cannot do, if licences were granted it is really difficult to see how it would benefit energy security.

The motion also neglects to mention that several attempts were made to find a commercial field at Barryroe in the 1970s. The motion makes various other statements that are simply not credible including "that indigenous energy sources create less environmental impact." Let us be clear: developing new offshore oil wells in Irish waters would have a massive and potentially devastating environmental impact. The solution is not to do more damage, but to mitigate, reduce and repair the environmental harm already caused to our planet through our massive over-reliance on fossil fuels. Only yesterday, the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, was crystal clear when referring to western countries, saying new funding for fossil oil exploration and production infrastructure is delusional and would worsen the global problems of pollution and climate change. That is really clear. Only May last year, the International Energy Agency, IEA, reported that we must stop all new oil and gas exploration projects if global warming was to be limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial level target. This scenario can only be achieved with massive investment in low carbon and renewable technologies. The IEA’s road map for net zero by 2050 makes clear that we need to expand our clean energy supplies rather than doubling down on fossil fuels as this motion would have us believe.

Let me quote directly from the IEA road map report:

Beyond projects already committed as of 2021, there are no new oil and gas fields approved for development in our pathway... The unwavering policy focus on climate change in the net zero pathway results in a sharp decline in fossil fuel demand, meaning that the focus for oil and gas producers switches entirely to output – and emissions reductions – from the operation of existing assets.

The report is clear that pursuing offshore oil wells now would go against all international advice and all plans needed to address climate change in any real and substantial way. It is also the case when we look at our national research. Research from UCC shows that as we decarbonise, it creates significant risks of stranded fossil fuel assets. Again the motion does not take cognisance of this. It is another reason why we should not be encouraging more oil development. Instead we need to support a just transition which does not lock in the wrong sort of investment but looks to invest in renewables, the generation of clean energy and in the job creation that will accompany that. What Ireland can, and we in Labour say it must do, is to ramp up our efforts to build the offshore wind infrastructure we so badly need and invest in active and sustainable travel measures including cycling infrastructure which is woefully inadequate across our cities and the country. We need to retrofit our building stock and provide better supports for those who are keen to engage in retrofitting of their own homes and we need to use new battery technologies and invest in solar energy.

Ireland is now a member of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance and we need to be leaders in advancing a fossil-free future. The crisis in world energy markets as a result of the brutal war in Ukraine has told us it is important to stop using oil and our reliance on fossil fuels as quickly as possible. That is reflected in the Minister’s amendment and in many of the other amendments. Indeed, the Minister’s amendment does address key points but it does not go far enough. It does not give sufficient clarity on the time line for getting us to the point where we can meet our targets and finally get to the enhanced production of clean, green energy and renewables.

There has consistently been slippage in the meeting of our targets. The EPA has made that clear. A lack of urgency has characterised the Government response and a lack of sufficient supports to enable people to move to meeting targets. On EV charging points and retrofitting we are seeing a lack of sufficient supports and resources. This means there is a risk that we remain a climate laggard and that we will simply be unable to develop our offshore wind generation capacity and our renewable capacity at sufficient speed.

Finally, I want to raise again the urgent need to speed up the adoption of measures to reduce the reliance of the EU on Russian oil and gas. We in the Labour Party have called for a full embargo on Russian fuels. I welcome the action taken at EU level on oil but we need to do more on gas. New oil and gas wells here or elsewhere are not the solution. Rather we need an urgent, just transition to renewable energy, greater investment in energy efficiency and the development of a green hydrogen strategy. We in Ireland can be world leaders in this. This motion would take us backwards.

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