Danny Healy-Rae warns bill will 'break the country'
Danny Healy-Rae addressed the minister to warn that the proposed bill would 'break the country', arguing it would harm the rural economy and raise energy costs. He opposed rapid electrification, highlighted power station closures and data centre demand, and urged provision for interim gas and local renewables.
Main objection
Danny Healy-Rae argued the bill lacks proper recognition of its economic harm, saying the timescale and measures would disproportionately damage working people, farmers and rural Ireland. He warned that imposed deadlines and rapid change would be unfair and not viable for many households and communities.
Electricity supply and rising costs
He said power stations have been closed and recent capacity problems show the grid cannot currently meet demand. Citing data centres, he repeated figures that they now use about 8% of electricity and could consume over 30% in seven years, and warned this will push up the cost of electricity for consumers.
Interim role for gas and other renewables
He stressed the need for gas as an interim fuel because wind is intermittent and energy storage is limited, and criticised the ruling out of Shannon LNG. He also called for more attention to solar farms and river energy, arguing local renewables and flood and river management are not being pursued.
Electric cars and rural transport
He said electric vehicles are not yet a practical option for many rural drivers due to insufficient charging points and current reliability concerns, and that the motor industry reports consumers are hesitant to buy new cars under present conditions.
Political appeal and Paris Agreement vote
He recalled voting against a previous deadline linked to the Paris Agreement in late 2016 or 2017, saying he believed then and now that the pace will hurt ordinary people. He appealed to government backbenchers to reconsider the speed and design of the bill to avoid severe impacts on rural communities and the economy.
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And I suppose, Minister, the first thing that I say to you is in relation to economics. I honestly believe that if this bill is implemented in full, that will break the country. And because if your suggestion is that everything will have to be electrified or rural and electric. And as we know it already, you've closed down power stations. And we've had three or four closed calls since Christmas. And again, as recent as a couple of weeks ago, the facilities aren't there. We don't have the ability to generate enough electricity. And just take the data centres alone. We are taught that at the present time, they are using 8% of all electricity. And that in seven years' time, that they'll be using over 30% of all electricity. And you see, the cost of electricity is going to go up. And people won't be able to afford it. And it's already gone up. And there has been very little mention of it. The cost of everything has gone up. And the cost of everything has gone up. And the cost of electricity will most certainly go up because it's going to cost more to generate it and to drive it. And you'll have to consider gas. You have ruled out the Shannon LNG. But we need gas in the interim because the wind doesn't blow all the time. You can't store the energy that's derived from wind turbines. And I, I more than anyone else, appreciate alternative energy and we should be doing that. But we haven't even been doing that, Minister. And there's no mention about doing that in relation to solar farms, in relation to energy from our rivers. We can't even smell near a river, clean it out, or help people not to get flooded. We can't even do that. It's a crime. But the trouble is, Minister, that this, there is no proper recognition given to the economic, or the detrimental effect that this bill is going to have in our economy. And there has to be room for gas to keep the lights lighting. We'll have to. And methane gas from coal can be used to the benefit of providing gas or adding to that grid. But we, you'll have to surrender our ideals, Minister, that everything has to be electric. Because we don't, look, just talk about electric cars. We don't have enough points to charge up cars. And in time, maybe, when they'll improve, electric cars may be fine. They may be very fine. But at the present time, they're not, it's not a sustainable idea to buy an electric car. If we're driving to Dublin, if we're driving to Dublin, or if we're driving to Dublin, or if we're driving to London to work, if we're the windscreen might be turned on, if we're the lights on. Because we have to, going to work in the morning and in the evening, people going to work need lights. And there'll be more pressure. And the electric cars are not an option at the present time. And that's the honest, humble truth. And you'll have to wake up to that. And telling people to get rid of petrol and diesel cars, people don't know what they have to do at the present time. They're not buying any car. And the motor industry will tell you that, because they're getting one. And the story from you, the government, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, that they should be using electric cars. And at the same time, they know that they're not reliable enough. And until they are, until like the Cutty, the Turf Minister, you're hellbent, and this government, it looks to me now, is hellbent on stopping, like they did one morning, stopping rural people from cutting turf. That will happen in time when the present generation won't no longer be able to cut it, and the younger generation may not be interested. And that will happen in time. But you'll put in deadlines on the people with this bill, which I believe is totally wrong. He signed up to the Paris Agreement. I believe I was the only deputy in the Dáil sometime in late 2016 or 2017 that voted against that deadline. Because I believe, I believe it, I believe that it's going to be very unfair and not viable, and that it's going to hurt the working man, it's going to hurt the farmer, it's going to hurt rural Ireland more so than the urban population. And I'm appealing to the backbenchers in the government. And I'm appealing to them to consider that what's happening here is too quick, and it's going to affect only working people, the working class, to affect them like nothing else has affected them before. And I'm so concerned about it. I'm so concerned. And because so many people, they were up here today, farmers from Kerry, poor people, and they said to me, look, it's hard enough to carry on without having to come up here to drive home our point to this government. And you do realise that those people have so many other things that they should be at today, because fine days are scarce and Kerry, you're talking about the climate, but it's a different climate, it's a different world. It's a different world, ones who pass, ones who pass McCroom or Mallow up, it's a different world up here altogether. We know about the climate if we were trying to survive where we are. We can only get a couple of days. Time is up, Deputy, thank you. Sorry, sorry, don't call.
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