David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are all aware of the pressure on gas supplies in Europe. As winter approaches, this will probably get worse. The oil and gas strike in Norway is thankfully over, but it shows how precarious our one connection to Scotland is. We have no contingency for gas supplies or for gas storage. We depend on it to cook our food, heat our homes, power our industry and generate electricity. Many reports over the last week from experts have shown concerns about this. Does the Minister agree that it is premature to decommission the Kinsale gas pipeline and the Inch offshore terminal? Could the latter not be used, for instance, as floating liquefied natural gas facility in order to provide energy support during our transition to renewables? Will the Government move to stop that decommissioning straight away?

See this speech in context