Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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115. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has examined reports on the use of the current energy crisis by the fossil fuel industry to expand its growth and infrastructure; if he is concerned about this trend in relation to the state’s climate targets; and if the advocacy for liquefied natural gas within the Government poses a threat to Ireland's Climate obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45741/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Although Ireland is not as dependent on Russian gas as other Member States, it is important that we continue to be vigilant and cooperate closely with our European and UK counterparts. Russia has been disrupting supplies to an increasing number of EU Member States. Replacing or substituting Russian supplies of natural gas is an important part in maintaining energy security, as is achieving our climate objectives.

The European Commission’s RePowerEU Communication of 18 May 2022 sets out measures to end dependence on Russian energy, including: saving energy, diversifying supplies away from Russia, substituting fossil fuels by accelerating Europe’s clean energy transition, removing financial and regulatory barriers to rolling out needed infrastructure, and ensuring Member States have contingency plans to deal with any disruption in supplies from Russia.

There is a double urgency to transform Europe's energy system: ending the EU's dependence on Russian fossil fuels, which are used as an economic and political weapon and cost European taxpayers nearly €100 billion per year, and tackling the climate crisis. By acting as a Union, Europe can phase out its dependency on Russian fossil fuels faster. The measures in the REPowerEU Plan can respond to this ambition, through energy savings, diversification of energy supplies, and accelerated roll-out of renewable energy to replace fossil fuels in homes, industry and power generation.