Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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51. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to a number of EU member states that have chosen to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty; if Ireland plans to reconsider its position in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58180/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Ireland has significant concerns about the compatibility of the Energy Charter Treaty with the Paris Climate Agreement and about the ECT’s dispute resolution mechanism, which allows investors to sue States, who are party to the ECT, for failing to protect energy investments, in particular fossil fuel energy investments in the context of decarbonising energy systems. We have expressed our strong views within the EU and we believe that our views carry more weight in international negotiations by advocating them as part of the European Union. We continue to reserve the option to support a co-ordinated EU withdrawal from the ECT if it is not modernised to align it with the Paris Agreement and to address our concerns and support the international effort to decarbonise electricity systems and promote more renewable energy. The Energy Charter Conference in November 2022 is a critical opportunity to reform and modernise the ECT in line with achieving significant greenhouse gas emissions reductions and reaching a net zero economy by mid-century. To date, Ireland has not withdrawn from the ECT because a majority of EU Member States, and the European Commission, are still signed up to the Treaty, while a modernisation reform process of the ECT is being negotiated. Ireland will review its position having regard to the outcome of the ECT Conference and in this context, if a decision is made for a coordinated exit of EU Member States from the Treaty, Ireland will support that position and withdraw.