Development (Strategic Gas Reserve) Bill 2026: Committee and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-16
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Nessa Cosgrove (LAB), Labour Panel

The Minister of State recognised that there was a grassroots movement and the documentary "Groundswell" captured it. There is also the documentary "Gasland", which was made in America and came out in 2010. We know it is going to come from America. Again, this is the Trojan horse. We know that if it is going to be LNG, it is going to be fracked gas and it is going to come from America. We know that it does have to be vented. The majority of LNG is methane and is 80 times more warming than carbon dioxide. It is 33% more damaging to the atmosphere than coal. Why are we having it at all? It is fine for us not to have it here. We know the detrimental affects it has on communities and we successfully stopped fracking from happening in our country, so why is it okay for the Government, as Senator Higgins said, to say "Drill baby, drill". Why is it okay that we are going to say it is fine for communities in places like Pennsylvania to have their lives destroyed? Communities have been destroyed by it. It is sinking into the water supply and we know there are not only health concerns but environmental concerns around areas where people are living. Has the Minister of State seen that documentary? It is really good but it is also terrifying. Why would we say that it is grand for those communities to get along with fracking and we will accept the product? More and more, I think it is the Trojan horse.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:52:17+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-16