Mattie McGrath accuses minister of 'act of vandalism' over pipeline
Mattie McGrath criticised the minister's handling of electricity supply and accused officials of creating a generation capacity shortfall, demanding answers about plans to pour concrete into an unused gas pipeline. He condemned the closure of Lanesborough and other PE stations, warned about reliance on fossil-fuelled emergency generators and called proposed decommissioning measures an 'act of vandalism'.
Main accusations
McGrath opened by challenging the minister's previous remarks on generation capacity shortfalls, saying "welcome to the real world" and taunting "wakey, wakey". He referenced warnings from Airgrid two years earlier about potential power cuts and blamed the closure of Lanesborough and other PE stations for causing havoc in the Midlands and an unfair transition.
Emergency generators and costs
He criticised plans to spend "millions, hundreds of millions" on aircraft engines to run emergency generators, noting householders and businesses had already invested in generators. McGrath attacked the reliance on fossil fuels to run those backups, highlighting what he called hypocrisy given official hostility to fossil fuels.
Pipeline concrete controversy
McGrath said a contained gas pipeline lies empty in the Cahillus constituency and outlined a proposal to pour ready-mix concrete into the pipe to render it unusable. He demanded a clear answer from the minister - "Will you get ready mix and pour it into that?" - and labelled the potential action an "act of vandalism", "act of state terrorism" and "act of national sabotage".
Political pressure and expert briefings
He called for the minister's removal and described the government as "cobbled up", saying the people would ultimately have their say. McGrath also noted that experts who provided a briefing via Rome were available to answer questions, and challenged why none from the minister's party attended.
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Thank you, Cathaoirleach, I really appreciate it. Minister, I'm glad you're here, Minister Ryan. And I'm just reading a small bit of your speech. Firstly, you told Adal you will discuss the generation capacity shortfall that exists. Well, welcome to the real world. And secondly, you said I will reaffirm the urgency of the bill in order to enable delivery of emergency capacity to maintain a secure electricity supply for our customers. Well, my goodness, what a mouthful. Wakey, wakey, wakey, wakey, wakey. Alice in Wonderland. Did you finally wake up? My goodness. We were told this by Airgrid who told us two years ago that there were going to be power cuts. Then you went down to your folly of closing down Lanesborough and many other PE stations, caused havoc in the Midlands. Just transition. It was the most unjust transition that ever I heard of in my life. And here we are now. Spending money at us. Snuff it away. Millions, hundreds of millions here to put aircraft engines to run emergency generators. Did you ever in all your days here the like of it? I know people that have bought generators because they knew where you were going, bringing them down in the cul-de-sac a long time ago. And it was a lot of expense. Householders, business people. In fact, you couldn't get a generator now if you wanted it. And you were going to do this now. And run them on what? Air? Peffin? All to buy his wine? You were going to run them on fossil fuels. Imagine. Fossil fuels. That you have such a hatred to. Minister, like this is. The sooner that you're removed from this position, the better. But the people have the same. The people haven't. The teacher and the tonnage they have, because you have cobbled up government. And the people have their say, ultimately, and that won't be too long, I hope. Minister, can I ask you again? Please. I've asked you three times. This might be twice. We met people again today via Rome who gave a briefing for anybody who wanted to come. Did any of your party come? Not at all. Because there might be questions that would be answered by experts that knew. They didn't have to refer to a note or a book or a mobile phone to look at it. And told you the folly. The pipeline, the contained gas pipeline, is lying empty. In perfect tact, in the Cahillus constituency, not in county. And the proposal under the closing down of the thing contains a situation where you have to pour concrete into the pipe to render juices. I want you to answer me, are you going to go ahead with that act of vandalism? Act of state terrorism? Act of national sabotage? Are you going to allow that to happen? So I want you to answer that tonight, above anything else, please answer me that. Will you get ready mix and pour it into that? You couldn't possibly do this, because if you did, the men in the white coats should be here. Thank you.
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