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

Government approved and published the Energy Security in Ireland to 2030 report late last year. Its supporting annexes and work programmes of 28 actions are included. The comprehensive report concludes that Ireland’s future energy will be secure by moving from a fossil fuel-based energy system to an electricity-led system, maximising our renewable energy potential, flexibility and, as I said earlier, integration into Europe’s energy systems. With regard to gas, the report determines that Ireland’s natural gas supplies and infrastructure are adequate to meet our demand projections, but Ireland does not have adequate resilience in case of a major disruption to our gas imports. As a transitional temporary measure, we will introduce a strategic gas emergency reserve to address security needs in the short to medium term, to be used only if a disruption to gas supplies occurs. Based on preliminary analysis by my Department, it is anticipated that in terms of delivery options, a strategic gas emergency reserve provided through a storage and importation facility in the form of floating storage and regasification units is one of the technologies that could be appropriate. As a final part of the review of Ireland's energy security, my Department, in consultation with Gas Networks Ireland, will complete a detailed examination of the optimal approach to deliver the emergency gas reserve, and I will return to the Government for a final decision on this later this year.

What we are doing is different from what other countries have done. A number of other countries among our colleagues in Europe have introduced LNG terminals to increase supply. We are not doing that, and that is exceptional, because we cannot increase our gas supply because of the climate limits we have just discussed in answer to the previous question. What we are doing is being explicit and saying this is not to import new gas. It is to respond to international events where we see a heightened risk of energy security disruption to our people, and which threatens our people.

To protect our people, we need a short-term facility while we be build up the safe and secure alternative supplies in renewables, efficiency and interconnection.

See this speech in context