Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I move:

That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to require the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to draft and publish a hydrogen strategy within six months of the passing of this Act.

I welcome the opportunity to introduce the Bill, along with my colleagues Deputies Réada Cronin, Johnny Guirke and Maurice Quinlivan. Hydrogen generated from renewable energy sources through electrolysis of water is emerging as a sustainable solution for the decarbonisation of many sectors. It has, for example, the potential to act as a store of surplus renewable energy, an alternative source of heat for homes and businesses and an alternative source of fuel in the transport sector, including for long haul and heavy goods vehicles, HGVs. In the words of Ms Marie Donnelly, chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council, in response to me in a recent Oireachtas committee meeting, there is a lot of talk about hydrogen at the moment but perhaps not enough strategic planning around it. We need a plan and we need to get the picture on the page so that we can see what it looks like. This Bill calls on the Minister to publish a green hydrogen strategy within six months of its passing and sets out the framework for that strategy. It is an important and necessary step.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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I am delighted to introduce this Bill, along with our climate spokesperson, Deputy O'Rourke, and Deputies Guirke and Quinlivan. Green hydrogen offers major possibilities, but achieving them requires a strategy. Green hydrogen is an alternative fuel for transport, including long haul drivers and HGVs, which are important in my constituency, Kildare North. It is fast becoming something of a logistics hub. Climate change is thundering towards us. Continents are burning and Europe is being washed away, yet despite a small fortune being spent on climate consultants and advisers we do not have a hydrogen strategy. We are not even preventing climate change at this stage; rather, we are mitigating. The strategy in the Bill will help us to address our fuel needs and meet our Paris commitments. Just transition must be central to all we do, because we cannot have climate apartheid, whereby one group has electric vehicles in their driveways and solar panels on their retrofitted holiday homes while others cannot put their heating on. It would be inherently wrong and socially destabilising. This is a leap we must make together and our Bill will help us to achieve that. We cannot delay and depend on the private sector. I am glad to put this Bill before the Dáil.

Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Green hydrogen offers Ireland a significant opportunity to meet our climate targets, North and South. Our island has one of the best offshore wind energy potential in the world, and if we can harness a portion of it for the production of green hydrogen, we can create thousands of jobs in rural Ireland and become exporters of this renewable energy to Europe, which will create wealth for citizens here. We want an all-Ireland approach on this, with a co-ordinated plan to develop hydrogen plants and storage facilities across the island. I assure the House of the co-operation of Sinn Féin ministers in Stormont on this issue. In 2020, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain and the EU adopted hydrogen strategies. Unfortunately, in Ireland we have seen very little action on this. The 2021 climate action plan only made fleeting references to green hydrogen. We now need a national green hydrogen strategy that will outline how the State intends to invest in this renewable energy resource to make a return for citizens and provide private industry with a roadmap and assurance that Ireland wants to be a leader in this area.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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With its abundance of renewables, in particular offshore wind, Ireland is uniquely positioned to harness the potential of green hydrogen. Despite this, we do not have a hydrogen strategy. By comparison, the European Commission published its strategy in July 2020 and our neighbours in Scotland published a strategy in 2015. The lack of a strategy jeopardises our ability to make the most of our abundant renewable resources through the creation of a complementary hydrogen network. It also limits our potential to secure funding and be a green hydrogen leader. The coalition Government is behind the curve on offshore renewables. This has to change, and change rapidly. The Bill seeks to ensure the State is prepared to realise the full potential of green hydrogen through the preparation of a national hydrogen strategy and, to this end, includes provision for comprehensive consultation with stakeholders. Along with my colleagues Deputies O’Rourke, Cronin and Guirke, Sinn Féin is happy to introduce the legislation.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is the Bill opposed?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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No.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Since this is a Private Members' Bill, Second Stage must, under Standing Orders, be taken in Private Members' time.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."