Minister O’Brien’s enthusiasm for fracked gas will lock Ireland into fossil fuels for decades to come
Minister O’Brien’s enthusiasm for fracked gas will lock Ireland into fossil fuels for decades to come - The Labour Party
Labour’s spokesperson for Climate, Environment & Energy, Ciarán Ahern TD, has expressed deep concern at reports that Minister Darragh O’Brien has written to An Commisiún Pleanála giving the green light to Shannon LNG.
This follows the Government’s decision to overturn a previous policy position which banned the importation of highly-polluting fracked gas into Ireland and placed a moratorium on the construction of new LNG infrastructure.
Shannon LNG was denied planning permission in 2023 on the basis of this ban.
Deputy Ahern said:
“It’s unbelievable that at a time when all of the available evidence says that Ireland will be miles off our climate targets and that we face up to €26 billion in fines, Minister O’Brien has decided to give the go-ahead to Shannon LNG.
“This is a deeply troubling development. The Government’s is no longer even pretending it is commited to achieving our legally-binding carbon reduction targets.
“If the construction of the Shannon LNG terminal is allowed to proceed, what’s stopping more commercial operators who see our energy needs as an opportunity to enrich themselves at the expense of our climate from setting up shop here?
“The decision to overturn the ban on fracked gas to enable the establishment of a State-led emergency gas reserve to secure our energy supply rather than significantly ramp up investment in renewables was concerning enough, but Shannon LNG represents a different beast entirely. It will be ten times more polluting than the State’s emergency reserve.
“When the Planning & Development Bill was making its way through the Oireachtas, the Labour Party was repeatedly assured by Government Ministers that there were no plans to import fracked gas. But now, within a matter of months and under the influence of climate-denying independents who are propping up this Government, we’re seeing them break that promise.
“By overturning the ban to allow a State-led emergency reserve which would only be used in exceptional circumstances, the Minister is opening the door for any number of private, commercial operators to set up ongoing LNG import operations and lock us into more fossil fuel-use for decades.
“This is a massively regressive step at a time when we need to do everything we can to reduce our reliance on highly polluting fossil fuels. The Minister continually cites energy security as the reason we need a State-led LNG reserve, but he seems to have left climate security out of the equation entirely.
“If this is a matter of energy security, then the direction of travel must be towards exploiting our abundant clean, renewable energy sources like offshore wind, coupled with increased battery storage and more inter-connectors with europe. Government must ramp up State investment in offshore wind farms via the ESB so that the enormous potential that is there can be realised, and we will have a secure, non-polluting source of energy, and households will feel the benefits in their pockets though lower bills.
“While the Labour Party continues to oppose and dispute the need for the State-led emergency floating LNG facility, if the Government is insistent on it then the Minister should have made clear to ACP that the Government’s position is that the construction of any other LNG infrastructure by the State or by private operators would not be seen as appropriate or compatible with our climate and environmental obligations.”