Carol Nolan calls for immediate halt to Quiltia-Gresham deal
Carol Nolan spoke on 18 January 2023, urging the government to stop the deal between Quiltia and Gresham Holdings and to approve an LNG import terminal to protect energy security. She said she opposed the deal as a rural TD, called for decisive government leadership, and cited concerns from farming and forestry groups.
Call to stop the Quiltia-Gresham deal
The speaker demanded the current deal between Quiltia and Gresham Holdings be stopped immediately, saying she is strongly opposed as a rural TD and urging the government to step in and show leadership. She referenced worries expressed by farming organisations like the IFA and forestry organisations like CIFA and said those stakeholders must be listened to.
ICSF analysis on CAP 23
Carol Nolan noted that on 5 January the Irish Climate Science Forum sent the minister and the government a scientifically informed analysis of CAP 23. She said the ICSF shares the government's vision of a sustainable future but warned the plan must be based on the latest objective science and real-world observations to be achievable and socially acceptable.
Criticism of mitigation strategy and economic risk
The transcript records the ICSF's view that CAP 23 is based on exaggerated climate science and leads to a nonsensical strategy. She relayed the ICSF concern that very deep mitigation, if pursued, could seriously damage the Irish economy and argued that mitigation should focus on areas with quantifiable benefits, such as energy efficiency.
Energy security and LNG import terminal
Carol Nolan raised the risk of national blackouts tied to energy supply and the electricity grid, saying the most urgent imperative is approval of an LNG import terminal. She framed the LNG terminal approval as a pragmatic measure to safeguard energy security while advocating for adaptation where mitigation limits are reached.
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I just want to begin by saying that the current deal between Quiltia and Gresham Holdings, it needs to be stopped immediately, I as a rural TD am very opposed to it, and government need to step in now and show leadership, and proper leadership that we haven't seen before, because I know a number of organisations, whether they be farming organisations like the IFA or forestry organisations like CIFA, have expressed serious concern, and indeed they are not alone. These stakeholders need to be listened to, and I would urge you to step in immediately. On another issue, Minister, on 5 January, the Irish Climate Science Forum sent you and government its own scientifically informed professional analysis of this plan we are debating. The ICSF shares the government's vision of a sustainable future, as aspired to in CAP 23, but begs to point out that there be achievable and socially acceptable, in order to be achievable and socially acceptable, it must be based on latest objective science, consistent with real-world observations, pragmatism on the limits of mitigation, and on the greater benefits of adaption. The ICSF note that CAP 23 is based on exaggerated climate science, and also leads to nonsensical strategy. Indeed, the aspired deep level of mitigation, they say, if ever achieved, could seriously damage the Irish economy. They say that prudent mitigation should instead focus on areas with quantifiable benefits, in energy efficiency, economic benefit and social gain. In this context, Irish energy supply and electricity grid have an increasing risk of national blackouts, the most urgent imperative being the approval of the LNG import terminal. Thank you very much.
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