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TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has said he is not certain if he can move to ban fracked gas being imported into Ireland.
In the Dáil today, Varadkar was asked to intervene and stop an American company from importing fracked liquefied natural gas (LNG) into Ireland thought the Port of Cork.
Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Mick Barry told the Dáil that a memorandum of understanding had been signed by a US company in 2017.
He said fracked gas from Rio Grande in south Texas near the Mexican border is due to arrive in the harbour in the coming years, adding that plans are underway to submit a planning application before the end of this year.
“Fracking is more harmful for the climate than the burning of coal. The methane emitted from fracking is second only to carbon in the damage it does to our environment. Yet, the government has not closed the door on using fracked gas at Shannon or Cork,” said Barry.
He accused the Taoiseach of holding the “door open” to foreign fracked gas stating that it could be part of the answer to Ireland’s energy security needs.
Christina Finn / TwitterTaoiseach comments on the Shannon LNG plant after people like Mark Ruffalo has said it is a hypocrisy govt wants to ban drilling but accepts fracked gas from abroad pic.twitter.com/O6nFp91reC
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) October 31, 2019
Speaking at a progress report on the government’s Climate Action Plan earlier this month, the Taoiseach said Ireland needs “energy security”. He added that “the LNG terminal could be part of the answer to that”, referring to another controversial site where it is proposed foreign fracked gas will be brought in.
The Taoiseach said he did not know much about the project, stating that it is not a government project, but acknowledged that the Port of Cork is a State-owned enterprise.
“We will continue to use gas for the next few decades. It is part of the transition to net-zero emissions in 2050 and the vast majority of climate scientists accept that we will need to continue to use gas as a transition fuel during that period, as it is a much cleaner fuel than coal or oil. I would prefer to use our own natural gas from the Corrib gas field, if we can find more, as well as biogas. Gas Networks Ireland has very interesting plans to develop its network for biogas as an alternative,” he said.
Varadkar added that he is not aware if the government can move to ban foreign fracked gas:
“I am not sure whether we are in a position to ban the import of fracked gas from other jurisdictions. I will have to look into that, but it may not be possible under international trade law and European law. Fracked gas may already be coming into Ireland through the UK pipeline, but I am not 100% sure whether or not that is the case.”.
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Is he sure of anything?
@Jim O Brien – TechBuzz Ireland: was just thinking that
@Jim O Brien – TechBuzz Ireland:
He sure is full of shyte.
This like saying that Ireland is neutral, but we will still allow American war planes to use Shannon
Maybe take a stance instead of trying to be Mr shiny shoes all the time.
As we are aiming for a neutral position ie not using coal , turf , gas, etc what are we going to produce electricity with ? Wind farms are proven to be usless at providing susainable power, wave power hasent even been looked at, nuclear will provide the power but we are told its to dangerous, we’re being told to get out of our diesel and petrol cars, vans, vans, trucks etc but we’re not being given an alternative does this govt of ffg have any idea of what they are doing or are they just sleep walking into their respective over inflated pensions ? ….
For over a hundred years of the Theocracy, there was a ban on the use of the “S” word in this country. Having got over that we now have a similar ban on the “N” word. With RTE reporting an exponential increase in the construction of coal power stations in SE Asia, likewise LNG stations, all totally dwarfing carbon mitigating moves this side of the planet. Also with exponential increase in world use of aviation kerosene and ships bunker, just what are we all thinking about. May be having 70% wind at a load factor of less than 35% and that not all at peak demand time. Madness. What the hell happens when we get a two or three week winter blocking high pressure event. That’s why they want the LNG, but that totally upends our position.
No, to anyone with even a grain of cop on in this whole business, we need to move a.s.a.p to the mass production of Generation 4 molten salt “N”. Was developed in the early sixties, but immediately shut down, because it would have put the fossil fuel companies out of business. Very well explained in five minute Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju59gcdmdvI&t=193s
Ultra safe. Useless for bomb making. Uses dangerous waste of the older types. Lets have four Chinese ones for putting into Moneypoint in exchange for a cartel breaking deal for our beef.
@Nicholas Grubb: I figured out the N stands for nuclear but what is the S?
@Pete Gilmartin:
Sex of course.
Couldn’t Leo make stand and just say no to fracked gas. What about all the gas in the Corrib field?
Duhhhh! You never have to ban anything.
We have full control of our taxes, just put a huge environment tax on it and nobody will import it.
Is this guy thick or what.
@Diarmaid O’Riordáin: fortunately EU law doesn’t allow countries to ban or overtax products without agreement from other EU countries.
RTE Investigates is worth watching tonight
Where are our Government
We’ve definitely lost the plot.
Leo what about your support for a terminal on Shannon Estuary to refine imported fracked gas from USA for EU market that will release methane gas 100 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas?….
Wake up PEOPLE
LNG is bad news…
Can he not ask some one who might know ?
We do pay enough advisers
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