Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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My Department is working on an Energy Security Package which seeks to address the energy security challenges facing Ireland with a range of new and existing actions. This Package is made up of five pillars including the review of the security of energy supply of Ireland’s electricity and gas systems, the McCarthy Report (an independent review of the security of electricity supply), the next steps for the National Energy Security Framework, oil security of supply and the Climate Action Plan.

The most secure energy is the energy that we do not use and therefore, energy efficiency, demand reduction and demand side management forms part of our response to energy security. Last year, the Government successfully launched the 'Reduce Your Use' campaign to promote and encourage energy efficiency and to highlight the range of supports that are available to households and businesses.

One of the key assumptions of the technical analysis that was carried out to support the review of our energy security of supply is that Ireland’s targets for electrifying demand and the delivering renewable generation capacity by 2030 are essential to our energy security.

The Government approved the Sectoral Emission Ceilings in July 2022 and therefore set out sectoral emission ceilings for the first two carbon budget periods (i.e., 2021-2025 and 2026-2030). The agreed sectoral emission ceilings provide for sector-specific carbon budget allocations for these two periods. The pathway towards our 2030 and 2050 emissions reduction targets, as set out in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, must incorporate the required level of abatement to comply with the carbon budget periods and emission reduction targets set out in the corresponding sectoral emission ceiling.

My recommendations must be cognisant of the need for energy security, affordability and sustainability, including our sectoral emissions ceilings and carbon budget obligations. Pending completion of the review the Governments policy on LNG as set out in the Policy Statement on Fracked gas remains in place.