Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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64. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will support and expedite the long-awaited liquefied natural gas (LNG) project at the Tarbert/Ballylongford landbank as this LNG project has the potential to be the spring board that will deliver thousands of jobs to the north Kerry region over the next 20 years, a region that has suffered in the context of employment for far too long; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8465/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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As outlined in the Programme for Government, this Government is committed to taking decisive action to radically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and to achieve a 51% reduction in emissions from 2018 to 2030, and to achieving net-zero emissions no later than 2050.

In the Programme for Government we also set out our commitment to achieving 80% of Ireland’s electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030 and to take all necessary action to ensure and protect Ireland’s energy security.

It is through delivering on this commitment that we will deliver a secure and sustainable energy future.

The commitment to a secure energy future builds upon the Energy Security in Ireland to 2030 report approved by the previous Government and published in November 2023. Specifically in relation to Natural Gas this report concluded that Ireland does not have adequate resilience in case of a major disruption to our sub-sea gas import pipelines and does not currently meet minimum EU standards in this area.

It is in this context only that a state-led Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve in the form of a Floating Storage and Regassification Unit (FSRU) was recommended in the Report.

A state-led strategic gas emergency reserve, operating on a non-commercial basis for use only in the event of an emergency, would provide resilience to the gas system and mitigate against the major consequences for our society and our economy that would arise from a significant gas supply disruption in Ireland.

I have requested my officials to finalise their work as a matter of priority so that I am in a position to bring forward a recommendation to Government in the near future on the optimal approach to ensure and protect Ireland's energy security.

The project referred to by the Deputy is a private, commercial, investment proposal.

It would not be appropriate for me to comment on this individual case given that the matter is subject to an ongoing Judicial Review before the High Court and that process should proceed without prejudice.