Development (Strategic Gas Reserve) Bill 2026: Committee and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-16
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Timmy Dooley (FF), Clare

I thank the Senator. From our perspective, the fact that the reserve is State-led and transitional in nature, meaning it is for emergency-use only, will ensure that it does not support increased gas consumption. That has been the kernel of the issue for us, with a view to minimising the impact of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as mitigating the risk of standard fossil fuel assets. I am being somewhat repetitive, but the single purpose here is to provide security. It is not about growing the use of fossil fuels. It is quite the opposite. We have a clear policy agenda around where we are going to power our economy and where we are going in terms of electrification. I have been open with Senators about the challenges we face for electrification out to 2050 as we try to get to net zero. Doing that without the continued use of some gas or liquid fuel will be difficult, based on the science of the here and now.
That is where we see hydrogen as being a potential component of the energy mix. We need to get there, however, and we need to do so with as much of the potential risk covered as we can. It is not about trying to reduce the price of energy by bringing in another more harmful fossil fuel. It is quite the opposite. That is where we are aligned in terms of our objective but I know that the Senator views it differently and I recognise that.

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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