Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)

I understand the Minister cannot reach into specific planning applications, but what he can do, and the Government has a responsibility to do, is provide clear policy positions on energy growth, development and security in this country. The Minister has already done it in relation to publicly owned LNG. I am asking - and this would be in line with the climate Act - that the Minister puts forward a clear policy position to say the only LNG facility the Government will consider appropriate is a publicly owned one and that there should not be any consideration or development of privately owned LNG facilities in Ireland. The reality is, if a privately owned LNG facility is established, there is no way that any Government could justify spending nearly €1 billion on a publicly owned one. My fear is that if the privately owned facility gets the go ahead, the Government will quietly kick to touch the publicly owned one and instead rely on that privately owned one. It is really important the Minister is clear on this.

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