Michael Collins: Ireland 'walked blindfolded' into an energy crisis

Michael Collins Thank you, Ciann Comhairle. Taoiseach, Ireland has walked blindfolded into an energy crisis. Not by accident, not by misfortune, but because consecutive governments choose to leave our country exposed and dependent on others for the most basic lifeline we have, energy. The price of those choices is now hammering every single household and every single business in this country. In 2022, in Leader's Questions to you Taoiseach, about the Barry Rowe oil field, I demanded that Ireland build real energy independence. Later that year I spoke of it from Gas Terminal off Cork Harbour, and I warned that relying on imports was reckless and dangerous, and the government laughed off my warnings, saying it's fine. Well, it's not fine, and the people of Ireland are paying dearly for that government arrogance. Fuel prices have jumped again and again in recent weeks. Hauliers are warning they cannot keep the wheels turning. Farmers, tradesmen, fishermen, home health carers, school bus drivers, oddly squeezed middle families and elderly, one and a half million of them, are being squeezed until they break. And what does the government do? It tells people to wait. Last week we were told by government there will be no knee-jerk reaction. To be patient. Even yesterday a coalition source said the government can't shield people, and while you can shield people from everything, your complete green agenda in the last government is coming home to roost. To make sure to never prepare our country for the future, but tax the living daylights out of every citizen in this country with its 65% fuel taxes, like VAT, NORA and carbon, making the motors of this country a cash cow for the government, like no other country in the world. This is a total failure of planning, leadership and responsibility by this and other governments. A country that imports nearly all of its energy, taxes fuel at 60-65% and blocks practical solutions for security is not transitioning, Taoiseach, it is stumbling. The Irish family's future. Europe and the world is planning. Ireland is panicking and being called the laggards of Europe. In 2022 I spoke to you about the Barrie Roe oil field. Because it represented something bigger. Not just an oil field, but a political system that refuses even to access its own resources while continuing to rely on foreign fuel, it's complete neglect by government. And beyond Barrie Roe, Ireland still has no clear credible path to energy independence. Imagine, after a Green Party in government, solar systems that cost up to £20,000 to run a home only gets a measly £1,800. This is not transition, it's a slow-motion collapse. And the government is participating in what's happening. People are paying more because of the choices made at the Cabinet table. Choices based on ideology instead of practicality. Choices that have left Ireland more vulnerable, not less. We didn't just leave ourselves open, we left ourselves defenceless. Today's announcements help with those on fuel loans. That must be welcomed. But the squeezed middle get 20 cents a litre off diesel, the same amount that went up last week. A 2 cent a litre for the farmer and the fisherman. Leaves a country in a very angry state. And leaves both those sectors furious. Ireland needs an immediate or national plan for energy independence, not in 2050. Taoiseach, can you outline this plan to me today? Taoiseach to respond. First of all, we do have an energy plan. At the European Council meeting last week, Deputy, it was a very interesting presentation by President von der Leyen, going back over from the late 1970s through every decade to the present day. And the one constant was that any energy crisis was a fossil fuel crisis, generated through war and conflict. The most recent being the Russian invasion of Ukraine before this war. And so actually, what you're advocating in terms of you've attacked the agenda for wind energy, for solar and so on like that, you're actually creating a scenario where there would be more energy dependence into the future and an energy dependence on fossil fuels, which would be, I think, a disaster for the country, quite frankly. Because if this teaches us anything, it's the necessity to double down on our focus and investment in renewables. And there are hard choices to make in relation to this. I was on the dial recently when a deputy in one contribution complained about a gas station, a gas generation station, a wind farm, and a solar farm in the world location. And I asked the question, how are we going to turn on the lights? So we do need a societal discussion about this. Because the bottom line is we're importing a lot of fossil fuel, which is subject to volatility in the markets and to various crises that can actually occur. And the Barry Roe oil field has been a long time, long before 2022, being handled or dealt with within the private sector, of course. And it never really bore fruit, even prior to any decisions that we took, both as a government or as an erratus in terms of any new fossil fuel developments. But actually, the plan, the recently 2025 Energy in Ireland report shows that about 41.3% of our electricity demand in 2024 was being generated by renewable sources. That's very, very good progress. We've made a lot of progress in the last decade or so and beyond. We have a target of 80% of electricity demand to be met by renewables in the near term and to go to net zero out to 250. So we are actually a renewable success story, Deputy, and that is the trajectory of travel. And we receive more of our electricity from onshore wind farms than anyone else in Europe. And we're among one of the global leaders in integrating variable renewables onto the electricity grid. And I think that that's something that runs contrary to the narrative that you were presenting there. And in terms of the carbon tax, 173 million of that went to farmers through the acres program. In 2026, 173 million is going to the Department of Agriculture for farmers. We have 55,000 farmers in the acres scheme. That improves best outcomes on climate, air, water quality, biodiversity, green agricultural pilots, and so on like that. You'd be the very first deputy coming in if any farmer in West Cork had reduced funding as a result of the carbon tax being removed. And you'd be singing a different tune if that turned out to be the case. Thank you very much. And I will be singing a different tune because the farmers in West Cork are disappointed this morning that they're only going to get two cents off the green diesel. And that's the facts. And the facts are you all made these promises to me in 2022 about renewable energies having delivered. That's the bottom line here. Taoiseach Ireland's energy security is hanging by a thread. We cannot keep relying on imported diesel in global markets. We have no control over. Your promise in 2022 was more offshore wind farms. But the only one we have is sought a decommissioning license. So, Taoiseach, when will the first of these offshore wind generating plants be developed in Ireland? Also, I'm bringing forward a proposal for Ireland's first zero emission freight corridor pilot scheme from Cork Port to West Cork, not alone as a climate jester, but as a real energy security solution. And we have the experts to do this. Electricity heavy duty trucks supported by a battery swapping and hybrid charging depot in filling stations would slash our dependence on foreign fuel. Every diesel truck on this route today burns fuel Ireland doesn't produce and cannot guarantee. Battery swapping turns trucks around in about five minutes, powered by local renewable energy, keeping supply chains stable even when global fuel markets go wild. And this protects family run haulers by giving them a secure, affordable energy source. This is not experimental. This system is already fully operational in New Zealand, Hong Kong and Japan. This deserves full support. Will we get it? But again, Deputy, on the offshore wind, we held the Onshore Res 5, the offshore town new auctions, which have delivered wind energy projects at competitive prices for consumers. We expect, the department expects the five projects which bid into the offshore one auction to be in construction by 2030, marking a new phase in electricity generation in Ireland. And the second offshore auction was the first to be held under the new spatial plan for offshore renewable energy development, the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan, and so forth. So we are making progress. It is challenging. I've established a clearinghouse within my department involving industry regulators and government departments to drive this forward and to accelerate it as quickly as we can. I do think it's vital for the future of the country's economy in terms of that particular agenda. In terms of the specifics, by the way, I never laugh at anything you propose or suggest, OK? You have a good old turn of phrase where you say you were laughed out the window or you were laughed out something out of it three or four years ago. The point is that we've had a very poor record, actually, historically on fossil fuel discovery in this country. Thank you. Kinsale with Corrob, that's about it. Independence in terms of energy in this country will be grounded on renewables, wind and solar and battery storage. Thank you, Taoiseach. Thank you.