Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the majority of my colleagues for engaging with my motion and the respectful debate we had until our last speaker. I did not consider my motion to be "muck", and no Senator who puts down a motion should have it so described. It is disrespectful. We have to think past this Government because there is no doubt we are here to legislate for the now. There are people who will not be in government next time, and that may be because of their policies.

This motion was about securing our energy and our future. It takes great leadership to effect change. It is not easy to get up and talk about the possibility of nuclear energy in the future but we must be prepared to have those conversations. Our ask today was to amend section 18 of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 in order that EirGrid could use electricity generated from nuclear fission. Will we have to wait another 23 years to look at it again? Is that the way things will be? We do not ask the Government to construct a nuclear power plant starting tomorrow. We ask it to look into it and for legislation to be put in place to allow flexibility in tackling the issue of our energy security.

I am not against hydrogen. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, spoke today about the hydrogen future. That will be the cool kid on the block for the next number of years but nuclear will progress in that time too. Let us not rubbish the idea of nuclear energy going forward. Interconnectors are good but in the event of an Irish shortfall, they make us reliant on the grids of other countries, which we have no control over. If something happens in the UK, France or Norway, we are goosed. The supplies we have are under significant strain following the war in Ukraine. Brexit also threatens Ireland's energy security and ability to provide energy. I believe the Government has overpromised on green policies. I do not believe we will be able to guarantee Ireland's energy security based on the plans it has.

Wind energy, on which Ireland depends, requires back-up of energy supply. The difference between nuclear and wind is that the former would produce far more energy. Nuclear is not the stuff of the past. It has been developing alongside the likes of green hydrogen and turbines. It would not make sense for that not to be the case. There is investment and progress in all areas, and that is to be welcomed. That is particularly so in the area of waste. Nuclear waste is not glowing green barrels. It is spent fuel and cooling rods which can be disposed of in fast-burning reactors.

There are many reasons for which we wanted to put this discussion on the table for the future. We should not rule anything out. Our citizens demand that. Energy costs are rising. Nuclear is much less expensive than the forms of energy we are producing and plan to produce.

I thank my colleagues and the Chair, and I thank the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, for coming in. I will pass on to Senator Mullen to finish up.