Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Mattie McGrath raised the issue of energy security. As a country, we are doing okay with energy security. I remember only a few months ago there was a real concern that we would be facing black-outs and brown-outs, but that has not happened. We have managed to get the necessary emergency generation in place and we are working to ensure it is in place for next winter and the one after. We have 90 days' worth of reserves for petrol, diesel, kerosene and oil, which is important too. We are examining whether we need to supplement our gas security with liquefied natural gas, LNG. However, we have two sources of gas, the two pipelines that come from the UK and our own Corrib gas field. I honestly do not believe the future is in further oil and gas exploration. There are a lot of licences for exploration that have been issued already and they will be honoured, but I do not think we need new licences. The future is renewable and that will give us energy security, energy price stability and energy independence. That should be the priority.

To reassure Deputy Boyd Barrett, I believe in a just transition. That is one of the reasons this will take time. Climate action could be done more quickly, but it would be hard to do it justly if we did it more quickly. That is one of the reasons we need to consider that as part of the just transition. I also agree with sustainable planning, but that requires an independent planning process. There is no Minister. Maybe it happens in some cases, but generally we have an independent planning process. The arguments are heard from all sides and independent planners make a decision-----

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