Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Regarding the wider and often overlooked point about our national electricity grid, it is opportune to outline that there is only one electricity grid in Ireland. It is operated by EirGrid and owned by the State. Today, 40% of Ireland's electricity is generated by gas; 40% by wind; 10% by coal; and 10% by peat, oil and solar energy. Another point worth noting is that the grid is largely constructed for fossil fuel usage. This means that it is not capable of handling large volumes of renewable energy. Any energy analyst worth his or her salt will say that the two energy sources do not mix well. That is why the Government's ongoing claims and sweeping statements of having 80% of Ireland's electricity come from renewables by 2030 are hollow and empty, without the considerable investment in the grid that is currently needed.

Estimates by Eirgrid suggest that a minimum investment of more than €2 billion is needed to upgrade the national grid. Thus, based on what is contained within the Bill, EirGrid will be allowed to proceed with higher borrowings to meet such future investments. The outcome of the approach is crystal clear in that the Government's policy plan will mean much higher electricity bills in the future, as this money is recouped through higher charges to energy suppliers, which will ultimately be directly passed on to the consumer.

Various reports have been leaked or published that set out the position and warn that Ireland will not have enough energy to meet the demand for the next five winters. One report by EirGrid explains that this is due to the Government's decision to close power plants, coupled with an increase in demand for electricity. The current Government's frenzied green policies of pushing ahead with effective bans on peat harvesting, together with bans on the extraction of domestic energy sources, mean that this one-dimensional, sole focus on cleaner fuel sources, at some point in the future, will force a situation in which the lights go out.

Energy costs and security have never been more central in public discourse. As the war in Ukraine rages, we are now acutely aware of just how fragile energy security is throughout Europe, but especially in Ireland. That is why the Rural Independent Group moved a Private Members' motion two weeks ago in the House, which sought to force the Government to act. However, just as it does all proposals from the Opposition benches, the Government blocked it and voted against developing Ireland's domestic energy security roadmap. Developing the oilfield off Barryroe could have been a solution to some of our fuel crises, as it could be one of the largest oilfields off Europe.

Since this extremist Green, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Government has taken over power in Ireland, it has been constantly posturing about its glossy plans to build renewable capacity and achieve power, with 80% of our energy needs to be met by renewable sources come 2030. However, the race for renewables has not even begun preseason training and lacks any credible action plan. This extremist Green, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Government accuses us of never having solutions to all the crises that are happening, one after the other. I handed the Minister a solution more than a year ago. It was a proposal for a floating LNG terminal, on which he failed to act. The Government failed to act on our motion two weeks ago relating to the Barryroe oilfield off the coast of Cork. I tell the Government not to ban turf. It is very simple. The Government failed to act on that. We have plenty of our own briquettes. The Government should stop importing them. The carbon footprint from importing must be massive and it is completely ignored by this Green Government. Only EirGrid in Ireland, owned by the Government, could reduce the price of electricity for every man, woman and child. The Government should stop taking tax of nearly €1 on every litre of fuel. Those are solutions that at least improve the lives of the people in this country.

These are the solutions but this extremist Green, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Government do not want to listen. Every member of this Government is responsible for the downfall and what is to come of Ireland. Talking about not listening, it is obvious what is going on from when I brought up the fuel issue with the Taoiseach today. Boats are tied up at piers because they cannot afford to go out. Standing orders were suspended in the council yesterday to talk about this. One Fianna Fáil councillor said he knew someone for whom it would cost €42,000 to go out for his catch. He was tied up and was not going to move. The same goes for other boats. The Taoiseach said today that he did not understand and that he did not hear me. In the name of God, is that the sympathy he has for the people of west Cork?

Is that the sympathy he has for the farmers and fishermen who are struggling severely? He must remove himself from his position if he is not able to understand their position. They are not able to farm the land because contractors cannot pay €1 extra for the price of diesel, which the Government has let go out of control. They are not able to fish because they have had to tie their boats to piers; they cannot pay the €40,000 or €50,000 to go out fishing. The Government is in trouble and its Members will know it in the next election. It must come very quickly.

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