Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I was horrified to read that if Ireland had any difficulty with the pipeline off Moffat in Scotland, our gas would be gone within 20 minutes. Did the Minister hear that? If there was any problem with that pipeline, our gas would be gone within 20 minutes. If our gas was reduced by as little as 20%, and if the wind did not blow on the same day, we would have to switch our electricity to diesel, which would mean we would only have enough fuel in the country to run the generators and no fuel to run our transport network. Did the Minister hear that? There would be no fuel to run the transport network if there is an issue with the pipeline.

Some 60% of our rural homes are run on a fossil fuel known as kerosene or, as people call it, home heating oil. They have no alternatives at present. Twelve months ago, kerosene was 70 cent per litre. Now, it is €1.40 or €1.50. A woman told me today her family is not turning on the heating at the moment. Her family is coming home for Christmas and they are saving the oil so they will have the house warm for their family and their grandchildren. It is not even November yet and this is what they are doing.

What has the Minister done during his term? He closed down Bord na Móna and our peat plants. Now, we are going to pour concrete into the pipeline off Kinsale to make sure we have no alternatives in this country. The Minister said, "I will tell you what I am going to do. I am going to buy jet engines to run the electricity power in this country." If those jet engines run on gas, we would have enough to keep this country going for 12 months from the gas that is coming out of the Minister's mouth. He is an absolute disgrace and so out of touch.

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