Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Rural Independent Group for bringing forward this motion. It is important we discuss our energy policy. It is something I have advocated for some time. We simply do not have energy security in this country at the moment. We are in the decade of remembrance, the decade of celebrations. One of the first things the State did when it was founded was develop energy security and energy policy. It was a massive undertaking. It is fantastic the ESB allows school tours of Ardnacrusha again, just to see what the State is capable of. We are so inured to the failures of the State, the failure to develop infrastructure projects and see what actually could be done. About a third of the GDP of the State in its first couple of years was devoted to building that plant at Ardnacrusha. It is quite an emotional thing to actually see it and realise the sacrifice that went into it. It was blood and bones as well. Men died to build it so the State would have energy security. Then we abandoned it for a false reassurance that we could rely on the kindness of others. That has not worked out very well for us.

I wonder if the Taoiseach still lives in a pipe dream where he thinks we can rely on the kindness of others, or if he wants to rely on the kindness of others to get a job in Europe. As Deputy Fitzmaurice said, he is blithely going along with whatever von der Leyen is throwing out there at the moment, to the detriment of our own people, our State and its security.

The previous speaker referred to a disconnect. There is a massive disconnect between our energy policy and our energy needs. The Rural Independent Group has brought forward this motion that refers to energy security, whether from sustainable or non-sustainable means. There is an elephant in the room. The Dáil as a political entity is very good at not addressing the reality. There is a big debate on whether nuclear power is sustainable and whether it can be considered to be renewable. Either way, nuclear power is key to energy security across Europe.

We are quite happy to buy nuclear power here in Ireland. This Chamber is probably lit with nuclear power occasionally because we buy power from France. France, in its wisdom, did not decommission its nuclear power plants when the Germans were following a fashion. Germany was actually handing over energy security to the Russian state. The Germans are still taking in the Russian gas. We are crucifying ourselves but they are still happy to run their industries with Russian gas. I refer to industries that make arms to sell to Ukraine to keep a conflict going. They buy the energy to fuel the making of those armaments from Russia. It is a ludicrous scenario.

We need to think about nuclear power. I do not love the idea - very far from it - but I recognise that we use nuclear power in this country and have to have energy security. Small modular reactors may well have disadvantages but I would like to know what they are because, equally, there are advantages. To put it in context, each small nuclear modular reactor is about the same size as one of the three generators at Moneypoint. That we were going to power down Moneypoint and just abandon it now seems like such incredible hubris. However, I agree with the Greens on one thing: we cannot continue to rely on coal-powered energy indefinitely. We do need to consider something more sustainable. Nuclear power is more sustainable. I accept it is not without disadvantages but we have to deal with the reality of our energy needs in this country, not with what we would like them to be. If we are to rely on wind, we should remember we have to power the country when the wind is not blowing.

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