Campaigners call on TDs to vote against Planning Bill if it fast-tracks gas imports

October 9, 2024 View all news

Bill’s contradiction of official government policy amounts to “gaslighting” says Oisín Coghlan

Public oppose an LNG terminal by 55% to 27% (2:1)
Public prefer batteries and interconnection to gas terminals and storage by 71% to 29%

As the Dáil prepares to vote on the Planning Bill on Wednesday evening, an Ireland Thinks opinion poll has found that by a majority of 2 to 1, the public does not think Ireland should build a terminal to import fracked gas from the US.

The controversial planning legislation includes last-minute Government amendments that designate liquefied natural gas (LNG) as “strategic infrastructure” which means planning applications are fast-tracked to An Bord Pleanála. Friends of the Earth is asking all TDs to support removing LNG from the Bill and if the Government refuses to do that to vote against the Bill altogether this evening.

Friends of the Earth Chief Executive, Oisín Coghlan, commented:

“On the one hand, the Government decided as part of the Energy Security Review there should never be any commercial LNG terminals in Ireland, and that while they research whether state-controlled LNG could provide an emergency gas backup that ‘it would not be appropriate for the development of any LNG terminals in Ireland to be permitted or proceeded with’.

But on the other hand, the Government is pushing through last-minute amendments to the Planning Bill that designate LNG as strategic infrastructure. You don’t legally designate something you oppose, or aren’t sure we need, as strategic! The contradiction is so absurd it feels like the Government is gaslighting us.

Before entering Government, the Green Party promised to “stand firm” against importing fracked gas and Shannon LNG. And they have presented the Government’s energy policy decisions in 2021 and 2023 as a moratorium on LNG and a prohibition on commercial LNG for ever. Well someone seems to have forgotten to tell the officials who wrote the Planning Bill, not to mention the judges of the High Court.

The Greens either took their eye off the ball with the Planning Bill or they don’t mind that the risk of new fossil fuel import terminals being approved has skyrocketed between the Planning Bill and the High Court judgement. If almost the last thing this Government does facilitates an LNG import terminal getting approval, then the legacy of the Greens in Government will be in tatters.”

The controversy over the last-minute amendments to the Planning Bill comes just a week after the High Court overturned An Bord Pleanála’s refusal of planning permission to Shannon LNG who want to build a commercial LNG terminal in Kerry to import gas from the US, where there has been a fracking boom in recent years.

In an Ireland Thinks poll of a representative sample of 1,413 people on 4^th October, 55% of respondents said Ireland should not build a terminal to import fracked gas from the US, compared to 27% who said we should. That’s a majority of 2 to 1 against any LNG terminal.

While Government’s Energy Security Package opposes commercial LNG it did open the door to the state renting a floating LNG terminal to provide an emergency supply of gas in case both interconnectors to Scotland were taken out by military action against the UK or simultaneous freak accidents in the Irish Sea. However, according to Minister Ryan the research and analysis since compiled by the department of environment and energy is inconclusive. It could take until 2031 to have a floating terminal operational and by then gas demand is forecast to be falling. The risk posed by interruption of our gas supplies would be declining and alternative sources of power back-up would be growing, from renewables to batteries to interconnection. The Minister has instructed his Department to carry out further analysis as part of the Energy Security Review before any final decision is taken on whether an LNG gas reserve is needed to make sure we can keep the lights on.

The doubts raised by the Department’s analysis so far chimes very closely with public opinion in the Ireland Thinks poll. When asked what should Ireland do to make sure we always have enough electricity to keep the lights on, 71% opted for “building electricity connections to France and the UK, battery storage for renewables and managing demand from large power users” compared to only 29% who opted for “building infrastructure for an extra source of gas, like a new import terminal or underground storage.” Strikingly that not only includes 19 out of every 20 Green Party voters but also 3 out of every 4 Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil voters.

Meanwhile, new peer-reviewed research, published last Thursday in the Energy Science & Engineering journal, found that the carbon footprint of exported gas is worse than coal.

Commenting, Oisín Coghlan, concluded:

“The science is clear that importing LNG is worse than burning coal. We may as well just keep Moneypoint on the go for energy security as build a new LNG terminal.

Public opinion is crystal clear, when it comes to energy security people prefer batteries and interconnection to gas terminals and pipelines by 71% to 29%. And that includes Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil voters.

And Government policy was clear, no to commercial LNG for ever and no to any LNG while they research what the best energy security option is.

The Government should strip LNG out of the Planning Bill before it rips their climate credibility to shreds. And they should reassert agreed Government policy on LNG in case a confused and cowed An Bord Pleanala bows to Shannon LNG and hooks us all on dirty, expensive fossil fuels for another couple of decades.”

ENDS

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