Carol Nolan warns of energy crisis, urges reopening of power plants

Go raibh mā agat. C'eap an ghaibh mā i mā eanar an you? I'll do it all on. Minister, the debate here today should be accurately referred to as statements on energy security. We have a very real crisis, which is very, very concerning to families throughout this state, to businesses throughout this state, who are already grappling with the costs of their electricity. And I know that many small businesses have now closed their doors. They've given up because they have been not able to meet the costs involved in terms of electricity and utility bills. And only last week I heard of one business in Port Arlington, County Leash, a fish and chip shop, I believe, that has been in the town for many years, had to close his doors reluctantly because of the situation here. It's very, very serious and it's going to really have a detrimental effect on the local economy and on the national economy. It's going to destroy businesses and indeed, you know, as well as crippling the ordinary families throughout this state. Something needs to be done here. And I'd just like to ask you, Minister, have you intervened with any of the electricity companies so far? And if you have, could you brief us on that? Because it's my understanding that that's in your remit. And I know other countries, their government ministers, have been proactive in intervening directly with electricity companies. Because it is galling for businesses and families in this state to hear of ESB making 390 million euro profits in the first six months of this year, while families grapple to put food on the table and where they have to decide between fuel or food. It's just wrong on every level. And I think action is needed from yourself, Minister. Not fine words, but action, please. And I call on you to do just that. The situation, as I say, that we now face is very concerning. And I know that I was one of just a few TDs in this House that have attempted regularly to bring this government and the general political conversation on energy back to reality and away from the hyper-utopian vision that has characterised the debate in recent years. Minister, what are we to make of all of this talk about how wonderful the budget was? Because of the way that it marginally increased the fuel allowance. And that's something that should have been done years ago. I knew of many people, particularly pensioners, who were struggling, who did not meet the threshold. So that's nothing that you deserve a clap or a tap on the back for, or government deserves a clap for. It's something that should have been done years ago. And government dragged its heels and finally decided to marginally increase it. But that's certainly something that doesn't need any fanfare or a clap. As you well know, Minister, we are in this situation that we're in, because government has opted to maintain its pursuit of a reckless and nonsensical net zero carbon strategy. This strategy is not only reckless, but it's obscenely expensive. We can talk now about rising costs as a result of international factors, and how this is all the fault of Mr Putin, which I accept to a certain degree. However, it was not Mr Putin who closed our power plants. It was green ideology, extreme green ideology. Two power plants are closed, Minister. And I'm asking for those plants to be reopened. One in Shannon Bridge and one in Lanesborough. These plants could be fuelled on biomass, and indeed farmers could be incentivised to grow biomass. But that would be practical and, I suppose, too realistic for you, Minister, because you tend to go with the reckless options all of the time. The reckless options that really pose difficulties and challenges for families and businesses throughout the state, and that are impeding progress and indeed setting us back. Instead of moving us forward as a country, you're actually creating obstacles and setting us back. But let us be clear, when it comes to costs being imposed on Irish families in the realm of energy and its related carbon reduction policies, then nothing can compete with the estimated cost of the low carbon and low carbon development bill passed by the majority of this House. I, along with just nine other TDs, opposed that bill. Indeed, at the time, I highlighted the fact that the IMF had put down the cost of implementing the policies within this legislation at a staggering $180 billion at a minimum. How do you explain that to the families and the businesses struggling today, Minister? How do you justify that? I would just love to know how you justify that. $180 billion, that's the cost of your legislation and your crazy ideas. Where are all those TDs today that were complaining, that are now complaining about energy security? When this bill went before us, they were nowhere to be seen. When we warned about the dangers of ruling out viable alternatives like LNG or oil or gas exploration. The majority of members of this House have chosen to support and pursue an exclusionary energy policy that has made our fragile energy security even weaker than it already is. There is an urgent need for reality to break through in the debates we are having. Pragmatism, common sense and reality. We cannot persist in denying the exploration of Indigenous resources. And we cannot leave two power plants at Lanesborough and Shannon Bridge closed when we face such energy insecurity. Ireland needs to be self-sufficient when it comes to Energy Minister. And I think now more than ever you need to take that on board. It is absolutely ironic that while we have little or no storage capacity in this state, that we have endless stores of its detached and deluded political rhetoric. That is one thing that there seems to be no shortage of. But we need to change course immediately. We need energy security and we need to make sure that Ireland is energy sufficient when it comes to this issue and that we are not left in a state of crisis because we are already entering that state now Minister.