National Oil Reserve Agency (Amendment) Bill 2026: Committee and Remaining Stages
Dail Éireann — 2026-03-25
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Eoin Hayes (SD), Dublin Bay South

I am not withdrawing it. The Minister was not transparent on it.
We have put forward this amendment, which would require the Minister to at least seek further approval from the Oireachtas, as he would be required to do in the case of any other emergency energy measure. That is only reasonable. It is only in keeping with the Government's commitments on excise taxes and haulier rebates, which were authorised last night and have a deadline of two months' time. What is most shocking about this Bill is that the Government has not been upfront and honest about it. It has done it an underhand way with 24 hours' notice, asking the Dáil to grant it unprecedented financial power. It is an unprecedented reversal on climate action. The Government thought no one would notice. Some of us do notice. We do our homework. This potential raiding of the Climate Action Fund for a year and a half, by a single Minister without Oireachtas or Cabinet oversight, at the expense of future generations should not stand.
No Member of the Oireachtas who believes in climate action should stand for unlimited power this year and the next to raid the Climate Action Fund. Earlier today, the Minister said he wanted to do more to support families during the energy crisis. Then he should tell me what community groups that are reliant on the community climate action funding he will deprive if he pushes this through in the future. He said his resolve to support renewable energy has never been stronger. Then he should tell me exactly which schools will not have solar panels if he continues with this relief beyond the two months. He spoke about Ireland doing far more than the UK. Is the UK authorising a potential reversal of any bog rehabilitation and climate action? What will the Minister say to the people in the boglands of Offaly about that? What will be his response to Deputy Clendennen, who spoke eloquently about Offaly leading in climate action? How will he explain to him that he is stripping millions from his constituency with this measure if he continues with it? This is not good enough. It is obfuscation, it is a rush and it is a power grab. The real question is how committed is this Government to climate action so I urge the Minister to support our amendment.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-03-25/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:47+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-25