Senator John McGahon- speech from 19 May 2022

Thanks very much. Again, last here, I think this is a good debate to have. A number of months ago I stood in this House where I advocated for the use of nuclear energy. Well, not advocated for it, more so I said that we should have a debate about it and have a discussion. And I firmly believe in every aspect of my own political outlook that having a debate on what could be perceived contentious issues or not are the best way to resolve them. Because it's only when you challenge arguments and have debates and have opposing views against one another can you really test it out to see if your opinion is the best way to resolve it. correct or not? And that's the logic I apply to most political, to all of my political outlook, to most of the decisions I make within politics. And I did it in relation to nuclear energy. I had a number of meetings with people who were pro-nuclear energy. I met with the pro-nuclear energy people when I was in Glasgow at COP. And then I brought it up here in the Senate and I also listened to what Minister Eamon Ryan had to say in relation to it. I also listened to what the Minister had to say today about it. And again, I've changed my view somewhat on it based on being able to listen to the argument of both sides. And it's not to say that people who propose nuclear energy have a certain view or anything like this, but it's not, as Minister Ryan said, I believe, the magic bullet. It's not something that's going to be able to resolve the situation. It's not going to help us get to 70, 80% renewables by 2030 at the expense of wind energy or solar. It's just not. And when I look at it, when we see it here, one of the points is made that one nuclear reactor could serve up to 400, sorry, the average nuclear reactor produces one gigawatt of electricity based on capacity factors listed above. 431 wind turbines are required to generate the same amount of energy. I can guarantee you, you'd be able to build 431 wind turbines quicker than you would a small nuclear reactor. And Senator Doobie mentioned it there as well. Like, imagine if someone came along and said, we want to build one in Dulic. You know what I mean? Could you, it's easy to, it, I don't mean that in a- It's not being popular or unpopular, but what is right for the nation? Yeah, yeah. And I think that's a very fair point. So a couple of things, like, it's very easy to come along and discuss an issue. So I think this is great. It's a very different issue to then get up and champion that issue in front of the local community who may be completely against it. And we've seen that with wind energy. We've seen that with solar energy. You know, and fair play, fair play to an individual if they're willing to get up in the Senate and say we need nuclear energy and then champion a nuclear reactor in their local community. I wouldn't have the, I'm just being honest, I wouldn't have the ability to do that. But the other point about it is, and Senator Keoghan is quite right. Well, dictatorship, I suppose, is what she's saying. Yeah, I was trying to think of a witty response to that, Senator Bullock, but I failed on this occasion. Anyway, the point is, and more power to you and fair play if you're willing to make the right decision, as Senator Keoghan mentioned, to actually say, well, this is the right thing we need to do. But it may be a good idea or the right thing to do, but it's not going to get us there anywhere quicker than what renewable energy is going to help us get there. Like, if this was a magic bullet that would get us there quicker, I would be all for it and I would say let's go and do it and let's have the debate and let's have the debate in those communities and let's champion this idea and let's sell it to the public. Let's bring the public with us and say, no, nuclear energy is the way we need to go with this. But the fact is, and Minister Ryan has said it there, it would take so long to get something like that even up and running in Ireland, even if the whole entire country was for it. It would take so long to build it, to get it into the grid, to get it working, to be able to serve our system. I just don't think it is feasible, really, at any stage, because we are so far behind on the debate itself. But that is just, I'm using myself as an example where six months ago I said we should be having the debate about it. I think what Senators Keoghan and Mullan have said about it is completely legitimate. I also think what Minister Ryan said was very good. And I think that's the debate that should be had in public, because the point is, let's have the debate. And I think I have had the debate in this chamber myself, and I am willing to say that I have changed my views on it, and over what I have said now, is what I think is very useful. Another point that Minister Ryan said, and I had this conversation earlier on with a friend of mine, who used to work in this House, who now works in policy in the European Union, and he mentioned about Repower EU, which is a plan to rapidly reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels. And what that is going to do is, that is acknowledging the situation we have on the European continent. It is going to be dramatically fast-forward, supercharged, for want of a better word, the transition. And we are going to do that through a whole number of ways. But the two things that I want to focus on is what we are going to do in relation to EU solar energy, and the Solar Rooftop Initiative. I think this is great, and I'm just going to pick out a small thing. The Solar Rooftop Initiative, what the EU is going to come down and say, and say that every public building should have, by obligation, a solar panel on its roof. That they should do this, that it would be a requirement of a planning process, that any new building going up, it is not an option, it is not a decision for me to decide I will have one. They should have it. It is through small measures like that, that it is going to absolutely reduce our dependency on Russian oil and gas. It is going to increase our own ability in terms of renewable energy, and it is going to help us get to those targets by 2030 and further on. So I think this debate has been a very good one to have. I really appreciate Senator Mullin and Senator Cuban for bringing it to the floor today, because this is the essence of this chamber when we are able to debate issues. I do not think, though, that nuclear is the silver bullet. I do not think it is the one that is going to help us get there any way quicker. We all want to get to the same place, whether we are on the political left, the political right, or in the centre in this country. We all agree climate change is an issue. It is the biggest issue facing this generation, this world. We all agree on that, and we all agree that we have to do something to stop it and stop the temperature of the world rising. But I do not think on this occasion nuclear energy is that magic bullet. I do not think that will help us get to reach our targets anywhere quicker, and for that reason I cannot support this motion, but I can support the Government's amendments. Thank you very much.