Eamon Ryan, Green Party, Minister for Energy has done nothing to avert threatened power cuts in the next 2 years. Other countries have done lots including getting long term gas contracts. Holland has got a floating regasification plant connected within 7 months, Germany will have 2 by Christmas. In contrast Ireland has spent a year preparing a paper which does not consider many likely problems such as:

·       Pipelines blown up and out of action for a year, only 30 days considered. To repair the pipes blown up in the Baltic will take at least a year.

·       It does not consider several countries in shock at the same time, a likely situation in the UK, France, Germany.

The Ministers paper is a disaster for Ireland. The Paper wants complete reliance on the UK which will include increasing amounts of fracked gas which is contrary to the Programme for Government.

Some scenarios in the paper envisage a third of Industrial Supplies not being met, This will put off the larger job creators which employ many and pay a lot of tax. I have made a submission to the review, the solution should be:

·       Quickly get a floating LNG terminal and regular supplies. This will have to be a long term contract as nobody is going to supply when these are scarce unless we commit to taking it when plentiful,

·       Press on quickly with the proven & cheap technology of onshore and bottom based offshore windfarms. On the East coast in shallow water. Also Solar.More experimental generation should be tried but not depended on in bulk, such as floating wind, biomass, hydrogen, etc.

·       Explore for gas in our waters. This will support Ireland, Europe & Ukraine become independent of Russia. We have got great support from the EU in disputes over Brexit and we should support them.

The Departments Security of Supply Paper wants short term solutions to avoid stranded assets when renewables eventually take over. It ignores the fact that stranded assets will be somewhere, Qatar, UK or Ireland. When there are shortages these places will not supply us with gas unless we have a long term contract to take it even when there is a surplus. Otherwise they will not make the substantial investments needed.