Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

It absolutely has to be for the future of GNI. It has to see this transition as its own. I spoke at a recent conference and made a comparison, which I think is a useful one. Looking at Bord na Móna, four years ago it found itself in really challenging circumstances. It was legally required to stop the production of peat. It has turned matters around and is probably the most successful, fastest-growing, biggest-investing green company in the country, if not Europe. It is a model for how to transition from brown to green. GNI needs to do the same. It needs to switch towards an area where there are real skills in laying pipes and working with communities in understanding how to deliver energy. District heating, and not gas networks, is where the future is going to be, in my mind. The roll-out of biomethane and anaerobic digestion, where we do get sustainable zero-carbon gas solutions, have to be centre stage. There is lots of work to be done and lots of investments to be made. If GNI does not switch to the low-carbon future, it will not have a future. It is a proud company with excellent executives and brilliant workers. By making the switch, we guarantee the security of the company, as well of the country.

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