Nessa Cosgrove
Labour Panel · Labour Party · Ireland
“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.”
“The amendment defines "fracked gas", which does not appear anywhere in the Bill. This, with amendment No. 13, would make clear that the importation of fracked gas would not be possible under the Bill. LNG particularly when sourced in the US, is usually derived from fracking.”
“I move amendment No. 3: In page 8, after line 39, to insert the following: " "hydraulically fractured gas" means liquefied natural gas, or natural gas in any other form, that has been produced, in whole or in part, by means of hydraulic fracturing within the meaning of section 5A of the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act 1960;".…”
“I am sorry but I just do not buy the argument that it is security. A floating LNG storage facility in Qatar was blown up. It is actually more of a risk to our security to have a floating LNG terminal. This whole thing is mad.”
“All of us were probably at the IFA briefing yesterday. When they gave us the briefing document I saw that it was exactly the same as the one last year and I wondered whether it had got anything it looked for. I was told not really, apart perhaps with regard to areas of natural constraint.”
“Historians, no doubt, are going to refer to this legislation in that way, because the reserve is not going to be used solely for emergencies. We are trying to define what an emergency is. There is no definition. Seven years ago, we led the way in the international community by committing to phase out oil and gas exploration.”
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“I also want to mention some startling figures that my former colleague, Councillor Declan Bree, raised at this month's meeting of Sligo County Council. According to figures that were released on foot of a motion tabled by Councillor Bree, €7.5 million was paid to private landlords through the housing assistance payment, HAP; the rental accommodation scheme, RAS; and long-term social housing payments in 2025. At the same time, there is a waiting list of 65 homes in Sligo County Council's tenant in situ scheme. A budget of just €2.5 million has been allocated for that.”
“I welcome the visitors in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery. I have just come from their briefing. As someone with osteoarthritis in both knees, I welcome their fantastic programme, which I intend to raise for discussion in the House by way of a Commencement matter. I, too, am very disappointed that services are not included in the occupied territories Bill. I commend Senator Black again on all the work she has done on the legislation. I urge people to take on board the amendments she intends to put forward. If Spain can do it, we can do it. As Leas-Chathaoirleach of the foreign affairs committee, the Acting Leader knows a lot of deliberation took place on the legislation. Yesterday's announcement was disappointing. I urge people to read Senator Black's amendments and work with her on them.”
“We need to back the technological universities a bit more and we need to get clarity on the borrowing framework. The prioritisation should not be just from central government, especially when we have needs identified locally and where they have the ability to buy the site but they do not have the ability to borrow to build on it. I also want to talk about having joined-up co-operation with the Department of Transport for delivering an early morning commuter train from Longford. Everything is there for it and it just needs the green light. That would alleviate a huge amount of the student accommodation problem in Sligo. There is a train ready to come into Sligo for 8.15 a.m., and it would make a huge difference to alleviate the problem at the moment.”
“For example, Atlantic Technological University, ATU, Sligo feels like it is stuck but it is a really growing university because we have this really good relationship, if we are looking at a partnership, between Sligo County Council and ATU Sligo. Because ATU has not been identified as one of the priority projects, we feel like we are in limbo and are stuck. There are 2,700 staff and 30,000 students and it is growing all the time because Sligo is an area of growth. It is in an area within the north west that is recognised as an area of significant growth. There are new courses coming in such as the five-year masters in pharmacy. It is a huge deal for a TU to have the big high-point careers that were in the traditional universities.”
“A 16-acre site in the ownership of Sligo County Council has been identified as a good site for developing purpose-built student accommodation to facilitate ATU. Agreement has been reached with ATU that it could be purchased. Unfortunately, while ATU has enough money to buy the site, it does not have the resources to fund the construction. This is where the borrowing framework comes in. It does not include enough details on how the TUs are able to borrow. We are looking at the prioritisation of certain colleges. That prioritisation comes from central government and then some of the technological universities feel they are stuck.”
“I thank the Minister for giving us the opportunity to discuss this issue. A few weeks ago, ATU and the students' union delivered a presentation in the audiovisual room. It was a student-based survey carried out among local ATU students and property owners on the availability of student accommodation. It found that the situation has deteriorated, rather than getting better. I am sure the Minister is aware of difficulties with accommodation in Sligo that was supposed to be purpose-built student accommodation but ended up not being so. The regulations on borrowing for technological universities frustrated it. The Minister referred to this issue in his opening statement. We were talking about a partnership approach. Sligo County Council and ATU have a good working partnership.”
“A total of 270 people were identified for these focus groups. I think 223 of them were young people. It is in their own words saying that they need a space that is free, accessible and not just based in an urban town. It has to be based in rural areas as well. They asked for youth-friendly design, that privacy and stigma be addressed and for goal-oriented supports and access to a range of number of professions. We are very lucky in Sligo and Leitrim in that we have a lot of youth services and we have CAMHS. They need somewhere to direct people to. I know this from being a youth worker on the ground. There is nowhere to direct services. If a young person presents with a mental health need, we have nowhere to direct them. There is no one there.”
“They are basically looking for an early intervention youth support facility for young people in Sligo and Leitrim: Young people in Sligo and Leitrim are struggling and we need support that actually helps us. It should not take months to talk to someone or feel like you’re fighting a system just to be heard. We want help that’s easy to reach, and when things start to feel overwhelming, not after when everything has already gone wrong. There are a lot of recommendations in this report. I know they have presented this report to the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. As it is driven by young people, there are recommendations on the services that are there. Jigsaw is in Mayo and Mindspace in Donegal and Roscommon. In all the surrounding counties, there are early intervention mental health services for young people. We do not have that in Sligo.”
“I also say comhghairdeas agus bualadh bos to Seán Kyne. Go n-éirí an t-ádh leis ina phost nua. It is fantastic for him and I am delighted for him. I also wish Daniel Ennis the very best and congratulate him. I congratulate everyone who ran. It was a long campaign and everyone who ran needs huge credit for putting their name forward on the ballot paper. I was at a great report launch yesterday by the children and young people’s services committee, CYPSC, in Sligo and Leitrim. The report is on transforming youth mental health supports in Sligo and Leitrim. We heard from the CYPSC co-ordinator, but also from Comhairle na nÓg in Sligo and Leitrim. I will read out a quotation from the focus group.”
“In the case of the 52 bus, the NTA made a determination that the public service obligation did exist and that the route should be retained, which is brilliant. The key consideration of this determination was that if the 52 bus were to be withdrawn, the number of available journeys in each direction would drop from 11 per day to just five per day. Were the 64 bus to be withdrawn, the consequences would be worse, and an aggregate of nine services per day would plummet to just two, and they are provided by a private service, Feda O'Donnell. Based on the Government's transport policy of avoid, shift and improve, by which we are trying to get people off roads, out of their cars and onto public transport, it is so important this route is retained and I want to get confirmation of that.”
“Tubbercurry does not have any other available option besides this intercity bus. It is not a commuter bus. Tubbercurry and the surrounding hinterland has no commuter bus and this needs to be addressed. The 64 is the only publicly owned public transport link between Tubbercurry and Sligo and it must be retained. I am bringing this up because it was announced by Bus Éireann that it was going to scrap the No. 52 Expressway service, which serves communities in Mayo and Galway, which are our border counties. That is what has raised this fear. I have been contacted by loads of people about this because they rely so heavily on this sole bus. Can we get confirmation from Bus Éireann that this service will not be withdrawn?”
“At 34 km, which is only 14 km longer than the S2 route, Sligo to Tubbercurry should be an easy commute on public transport. A large number of people living in Tubbercurry work in Sligo town, but the No. 64 is an intercity bus rather than a commuter bus. A standard Bus Éireann coach seats between 50 and 55 passengers and consequently there are very few seats available for commuters wishing to travel daily between Tubbercurry and Sligo. I point out that this should be a public service obligation, PSO, route. That is what I want and it is the whole point of my Commencement matter. I also bring up the issue of price. A full adult fare from Rosses' Point to Strandhill on the S2 is €2, and is even less with a Leap card. However, the full adult fare from Tubbercurry to Sligo is €15.”
“It is delivered by professional and really friendly drivers seven times a day. It is supplemented by the 964 bus, operated twice a day by Feda O'Donnell Coaches. There are also two other buses that come once a week but I am not going to get into that now. The 2022 census shows that Tubbercurry has a population of 2,307 people, which is about 10% of the population of Sligo town. It is considerably larger than the population of Strandhill, Collooney, and Ballisadare, which are the next largest towns. Tubbercurry's population has increased by a staggering 90% since 2002 and over 16% between the census of 2016 and 2022. By way of comparison, there are 31 buses running on the S2 route between Strandhill and Rosses' Point, via Sligo. That route is approximately 20 km long. I live on that route and it is fantastic to have that service.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Tóg go bog é liom anois. Beidh go leor uimhreacha á liostáil agam. Since being elected to Seanad Éireann, I have been contacted by numerous people from all walks of life expressing their dissatisfaction with the level of public transport available in Tubbercurry in south Sligo. Leaving aside the matter of the full reinstatement of the western rail corridor, which I know the Minister of State, as a west of Ireland man, supports, including bringing it right up to Sligo, the level of public transport offered to Sligo's second town is woeful. I am not exaggerating when I say that. The main service on offer is the Bus Éireann No. 64 Expressway, which connects Derry to Galway, via Donegal, Sligo and Knock Airport. It is a fantastic service and is usually very reliable.”
“This is about looking at the inclusion of agricultural science at junior certificate level and the diversification of farming to include what Senator Brady spoke about, namely, where our food comes from, growing, food security and initiatives like social farming. It involves looking at educational issues around that. I would love to see such a subject at junior certificate level. It could be a combination of home economics and agricultural science.”
“It is all right. I do not need extra time. What I was saying was what everyone here had said, namely, that only 13% of total farm owners in Ireland are female. I know the Government has committed in the programme for Government to implement this report and is saying that the three multistructural changes would be policy overhauls, cultural validation and targeted innovation funding. This is where education comes in. For many years, I was a youth liaison worker in rural and urban schools. Agricultural science was always offered as a subject in the rural schools but often it was not offered in single-sex girls schools.”
“I was looking at this Highlighting pathways to Empower Rural women to have Sustainable and Equitable Livelihoods in Farming, HER-SELF, report, which is a brilliant report. I know the Minister’s Department was instrumental in commissioning it. I thank the authors, Dr. Martina Roche, Dr. Noirín MacNamara and Dr. Mary Anne Hurley. They highlighted ways to empower rural women to have sustainable and equitable livelihoods in farming. They pointed to some of the barriers that have come up in this motion and ways to address them. As has been said here, they looked at policy overhauls and aligning tax and legal succession. Looking at CAP payments was also suggested. The vast majority of people receiving these payments are men. There is also the cultural validation aspect. As Senator Collins said, if you cannot see it, you cannot be it.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I am very proud to put my name to this motion as well. I thank Senator Boyhan for including me in it. When I was looking into what I was going to say, I was thinking back to the opening comments from Senator Daly. My grandmother was also a farmer, and she loved farming and spending time on the farm, but she also was burdened by a lot of children. I should not be saying "burdened", but she ended up having to do both. She did not drive, so she spent a lot of time at home, whereas my grandfather would have gone off to the mart. She had all those other responsibilities that my grandad did not have. I welcome what the Minister, Deputy Heydon, has done.”
“The children's hospital has been delayed 19 times, but that is nothing to do with environmental law. It is absolutely nothing to do with the judicial reviews either. It is to do with the failure for strategic planning. The same could be said of offshore wind. The Government has been talking about the development of offshore wind for 30 years. The new project that is going through the planning process at the moment on the east coast will not even happen until 2030 due to the failure to plan adequately.”
“We believe this is unconstitutional. It is harking back to the monarchs of the late 1600s. In 1690, the Bill of Rights came in to get rid of the monarchs overseeing and deciding whatever they wanted. This Bill is wrong. We all want to agree with critical infrastructure developments, but we as a party believe that infrastructure projects were not delivered under this current Government and have not been delivered for years because of no long-term strategic planning and a lack of resourcing of our State bodies, planning authorities, local authorities and courts. We are disappointed that members of the Opposition, who we hoped would actually support us in the Dáil, actually voted for this Bill. We hope we have an opportunity in the Seanad now to go through this and that the Minister will accept some of our amendments.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. We all want infrastructure delivered quickly but we as the Labour Party think that the Government has misdiagnosed the problem. This Bill seeks to blame environmental law for the Government's own failings by suspending section 15 of the climate action Act for particular projects. The Government is now abandoning any pretence that our biodiversity, environment or climate should play any role in deciding what we see to be critical infrastructure in this country and whether particular projects proceed. The Bill is effectively putting the duty on public bodies not to comply with the climate action Act in order to meet our climate goals. This was not recommended in the Accelerating Infrastructure report and was not required in this Bill. It removes the duty of public bodies to do that.”
“As Senator Stephenson said, this is our last opportunity in the Seanad to raise this. If this legislation goes through, it will be 20 years, at minimum, before it can be overturned. I am appealing to the Minister of State in this regard. We have amendments that we want to discuss, but they have been ruled out of order. We will stay for the debate and, hopefully, we will be able to talk about them at some stage. I am not exaggerating by saying that we are walking into a dystopian reality.”
“This is the stuff of nightmares if it happens. It is bad enough that we can see throughout current Government policy that we are handing over certain deals and contracts to private organisations. I brought up last week the issue of childcare being sold off for profit to multinational chains, and we see the mess that is already happening in the housing sector. Now, we are giving investors a legal entitlement to sue our independent, sovereign State that we fought so hard to get, if we implement policies that affect their ability to make profit. We are having this discussion but, unfortunately, the Government has such a big majority in this Chamber. In this debate, we are reasoning with the Minister of State to listen to the Opposition. I know he has come in to listen but I ask him to please take on board what we are saying.”
“However, if a Canadian investor decides to invest in LNG infrastructure, and if the Government sees sense or if a new government comes in and says it will not invest in that because it is madness, then we are liable because the loss of profits of a Canadian company that might have invested in fossil fuel infrastructure means it will be able to sue us. It beggars belief. It does not make sense why we would want to create a system like this, particularly when we are proud of our judicial system. The Minister of State is from a legal background. Why would we want to create an alternative court system in parallel to what we have already? I am not exaggerating in saying it is dystopian. We are talking about sovereignty. We are going to place the democratic will of a sovereign State, Ireland, on an equal par with corporate organisations.”
“As Senator Higgins said, not only is there going to be a financial cost, but there will be an effect on the budget in each Department. We can see there is an overspend in budgets as it is. We can see that we are not meeting our climate targets and we are paying fines. In each budget, if we are going to get sued, is this going to be part of it? It beggars belief. I live in the north west. Under the NAFTA agreement, we have seen that Canada itself has been sued by an investor court because of Quebec and its decision to ban fracking. The current Government seems to be ploughing ahead and it is not committing to investing in renewable energies.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. As I said on the last Stage, I would go so far as to say this is reckless. I would actually call it dystopian. I think we are walking into a situation that will be irreversible. I know the Minister of State comes from a legal background. It is great to be a Member of a House where there are so many legal minds. However, I do not understand why the Government is supporting this. I do not see any justification for it. Both Ireland and Canada have mature legal systems, with both deriving from the British legal system. We have an existing, mature legal system in this country. Why are we creating a parallel justice system that can override our own legislation and the legality that we have here? It makes no sense.”
“I also offer my condolences to the family and friends of Yves Sakila on his tragic and horrific death on Friday. I also wish to raise the global flotilla. Twelve Irish citizens have been detained by the Israeli forces. One of the women kidnapped is the Sligo-based GP, Dr. Margaret Connolly, a sister of President Catherine Connolly and wife of my former colleague, Councillor Declan Bree. My thoughts are with his family and their friends. The flotilla was bringing humanitarian aid, baby food and much-needed medical supplies. Israeli forces were again outside their territorial waters. It is an act of piracy and kidnap. I want to call that out. Under the Convention on the High Seas, this is not okay. Israel is acting with impunity. There are no sanctions or repercussions. I want to mark that, again.”
“They are being operated by big multinational private companies with investments in private companies. Is this who we want running our ambulance service, our childcare or any of our essential public services that should be provided by the State? We are handing them over. There is a lot more to this dispute. To go back to the ambulance service personnel, they have upskilled. They have spent time and money upskilling. It beggars belief that we are already on the first step. Yesterday's strike has ended but already there are preconditions prior to the next day of action on 19 May. This is no way to enter negotiations, with the Government and the HSE already saying if the personnel do this then they cannot do that. We need to be very aware that we are continuously moving to the privatisation of public services.”
“There is a fear that the driving role is being handed over to private companies, which is a real issue. This is about how we are handing over public services to private providers. I again question the Government's attitude towards State-led childcare. This morning I heard Tigers Childcare, which has been in receipt of public money for years, including core funding in the early years sector, has been sold to UK-based Kids Planet Day Nurseries for €75 million. Kids Planet is owned by Fremman Capital which has assets under management valued at €3.6 billion. Is this who we want running our childcare? We can see the same thing is happening with nursing homes. For example, I have raised an issue in Sligo with regard to elderly people in a retirement village.”
“I will speak about the ambulance dispute, which has stopped for the moment. I will go back to the start of it. When we ring for an ambulance, we do not care what qualifications the people have. We just want to know they will do the job we trust them to do. We rely on them so much. It does not make sense to me that the HSE is talking about having conditions before going into negotiations. We cannot end a dispute if there are predetermined conditions before negotiations even start. I have spoken to ambulance personnel who have spent years training and upskilling. Their job role has changed and we all spoke about this yesterday. What struck me when listening to some of their concerns is that many people in the ambulance service want to remain as drivers or want to drop down to be drivers. They do not want to have an extra role.”
“There is still a fear among victims that in coming forward they will be judged and have to face the perpetrator in court, and will be judged for having to leave a situation and go into homelessness. If they are staying with a family friend, even when on the housing list, they should be recognised as being homeless but in a safe environment. I commend the Fianna Fáil Senators on bringing this motion forward.”
“Are resources needed from local authorities? I thought at this stage things would have progressed further but they have not. My former colleagues in Sligo County Council wrote to the Department of justice in January to ask for an update and we still have not received one. I thank the Minister for giving me the opportunity to again raise this matter. I work with many young women in my constituency who have to leave their homes. I know the consequences for them of having to take a child with them and be judged for going into homelessness because they have to leave a violent situation. As Senator Tully has said, the Garda needs to be resourced. The children and victims of domestic abuse have to be the number one priority.”
“The recognition in the motion that there needs to be at least 280 refuge spaces by the end of the year is very welcome, but it is not enough. It is only fair that there should be a refuge space in each county. This is the third time since I was elected that I am raising the fact that we do not have refuge spaces in Sligo. The Domestic Violence Advocacy Service, DVAS, is working alongside Sligo County Council and Cuan to do everything it can to try to bring this forward, but it is taking too long. I raised this issue on International Women's Day last November and again in October when we discussed the free travel Bill. It is my duty to again raise this issue with the Minister. This has been going on for too long and we do not understand why. I have worked with DVAS and we do not understand why there is a delay.”
“That we are still discussing this issue and having a motion on it is depressing. That 32,144 women contacted Women's Aid last year is horrendous. I welcome that the motion recognises that violence is a scourge on society and that, collectively, we have to tackle it. It is good to see words like that in the motion. I also recognise the steps that have been taken, such as the progression of the sex for rent legislation and the introduction last month of the violence travel supplement. I commend Senator Patricia Stephenson on all the work she has done on that and Senator Harmon on the work she has done on sex for rent legislation. It shows that we can make an impact. I commend the Government on addressing these issues.”
“Our flag is the ultimate symbol of tolerance and inclusion - the green and orange united in peace. Today is International Nurses Day. There is no doubt that without migrant workers coming into our country, our health system and IT systems would collapse. I raise this issue because we have witnessed a lot of racial abuse online of the Labour Party candidate in the Galway West by-election, Helen Ogbu. It is shocking, and I want to call that out. We strive to overcome challenges in our society. We need to challenge this hatred and division. I recognise that particular today, on the anniversary of these two great men and International Nurses Day. Without migrant workers in our country, our economy would collapse.”
“I welcome our visitors in the Gallery. Today I want to commemorate a significant anniversary in our nation's history. On this date 110 years ago the final two signatories of the Proclamation who had been sentenced to death were executed. They were James Connolly, founder of the Labour Party, my party, and an inspiration for many left-wing, inclusive ideas around the world, and Seán Mac Diarmada, who was a native of a small farmstead in Kiltyclogher in County Leitrim. These two men represent two very different faces of the struggle for Irish freedom and two different faces of our nation. Both were radical voices speaking up, one for the urban proletariat and the other for the agricultural worker. They spoke for tradition and for change. Inclusion was and remains integral to the origins of the principle of the Irish Republic.”
“Trócaire, Christian Aid and An Taisce, all extremely reputable companies, have warned us of their experience of investor courts in the global south, which have increasingly been used as a weapon by extractive fossil fuel companies. In effect, this is the creation of a governing body outside of our Constitution which threatens our Republic and contradicts the principles of republicanism. Will we see a future governed by huge multinational corporations? How are we to defend Irish farmers and growers in the agricultural sector from poor work and environmental standards? What about the Mercosur trade agreement? This legislation was rushed through, including by Ministers in my own constituency in the north west, which is going to be massively affected.”
“If these rules are good enough for us, why are they not good enough for multinational corporations? We are literally giving away elements of our sovereignty to unelected corporations. Germany was sued for €3 billion by Swedish investors after changing its approach to use of nuclear energy. The Netherlands and Italy were sued under another energy trade agreement. Ireland has already been threatened by two oil and gas companies that claimed they were treated unfairly. This could impact future decisions to ban fracking or gold mining, which is a massive issue where I live in the north west. Imports of LNG from Canada to the EU are set to increase in future. Could we be sued if we refuse to take this filthy gas?”
“No matter what way this is presented or dressed up, it could be the most damaging and dangerous Bill to pass through the Oireachtas, with far-reaching and long-lasting consequences. Of course the Labour Party supports trade and we know that trade between Ireland and Canada has gone up. We do not support investor courts, which we believe are completely unnecessary. These secret corporate courts allow corporations to sue Governments over laws that could impact profit, for example raising the minimum wage and protecting vital ecosystems. Investor courts give corporations a veto over policies designed to protect people's health, quality of life and the environment. These are not misconceptions. Ireland already has fair rules to protect investors.”
“By establishing a fund to support licensed wildlife rehabilitation services, we will help to meet our obligations under the fourth national biodiversity action plan. Biodiversity and climate loss are interlinked. I am proud to be standing here with my comrades to support this.”
“It in this challenging world that wildlife rehabilitation services such Wildlife West in Sligo operate. Called to scenes of poisonings, incidents and accidents, services like Wildlife West observe, assess and do whatever they can to mitigate or remove the birds and animals from danger and, where necessary, bring them back the centre for assessment and rehabilitation. Hedgehogs, barn owls, foxes, ducks and swans are among those helped this year by the team at Wildlife West. Long-term investment is also made through outreach programmes and educational visits to schools and colleges by wildlife rehabilitation services. Through the education of children, young people and their families, we all learn how best to protect nature. That means the reliance on organisations like wildlife rehabilitation services will be reduced.”
“The disposal of vast quantities of waste from intensive farming of pigs and chickens, the overstocking of land with sheep and cattle, the overplantation of Sitka spruce, intensive grass growing and repeated sowing of crops all play a part in exhausting our natural world. Our land use practices often require the destruction of hedgerows in pursuit of bigger fields and the ever-increasing application of fertiliser, weed killer and pesticides. As a result, we have much poorer levels of biodiversity than we once enjoyed. The health and resilience of remaining species is compromised also. These weakened species operate in a human-centric environment in which they have not evolved face daily dangers from road traffic, overhead cables, lawn-mowers, strimmers, pets such as dogs and cats, oil spills, poisoning and illegal hunting or snaring.”
“As a species, humans have been remarkably successful in adapting to our own surroundings and we have given a great deal of thought to adapting our environment to suit our needs. Unfortunately, we have not been as successful or given enough thought to ensuring our adaptations do not impact on other living creatures who share our planet. Human activity, whether thoughtless or deliberate, has had a catastrophic impact upon many other life forms living wild alongside us. Nature loves diversity, but through our pursuit of efficiency and our determination to mould nature to suit our immediate needs, we have often promoted agricultural practices that specialise in monocrops.”
“Before I move on to our next speaker, I welcome Deputy Michael Cahill and his two guests, Seamus Farrell and Mary McKeever. Up an Cabhán and Cavan town. You are very welcome. Glaoim anois ar an Seanadóir Cathal Byrne.”
“We know we have abundant natural resources such as onshore and offshore wind and an increasingly viable solar sector. We also have huge tidal energy potential. I hope the Minister of State will listen to this. We know we need energy security. I think at this stage the penny has finally dropped with us all that we cannot rely on fossil fuels. This means smart investment in the regeneration of renewable energy and the smart electrification of our grid. We know at this stage that spending money on fossil fuel infrastructure is not an investment in energy security. It is a frittering away of our independence, our economy and our climate. If this Government does nothing else, I hope it will stop the building of this LNG infrastructure.”
“We will be encouraged to frack for our own gas in Sligo, Leitrim and across the Border counties, regardless of the consequences we know exist in the form of environmental and health impacts on animals and humans. It beggars belief that there are three Government Ministers in my own constituency and they are still touting this. In fairness, the former Deputy Tony McLoughlin of Fine Gael was the first person to bring in a ban on the extraction of LNG in Ireland, but this Government has reneged completely on it. Continued reliance on fossil fuels will not bring energy security. We know it will only bring dependency on unstable regions and markets, and the continued ruination of our climate and environment. We need to drastically increase the speed at which we decarbonised. That has come up here over and over.”
“I completely dispute any argument that LNG is a necessary step towards energy security. Even Paul Griffiths, the CEO of Predator Oil & Gas, has agreed that he would not live beside an LNG terminal for fear that it might blow up. The attacks on Qatar's LNG infrastructure have shown that these are not ill-founded fears, and that a floating tank of gas is a much easier target for enemies than undersea pipelines. The export of LNG from Qatar has now collapsed. The price of LNG has soared by a third since the war began, and supply is likely to be impacted for years. Those voices within the Government who see LNG as a step towards energy security will encourage us to frack for our own gas. I am particularly affected in my area where I live in Sligo and Leitrim.”
“During our discussions on the national development plan and since, we have heard a lot of talk from Government about the need to invest in a floating storage and regasification unit, FSRU. This will be the first time substantial amounts of liquefied natural gas will be introduced into the Irish energy mix. It beggars belief that at exactly the time we are supposed to be transitioning from fossil fuels to sustainable energy, this Government has made a deliberate decision to jettison its climate commitments and encourage the importation of huge amounts of this damaging, dirty, filthy, methane-rich gas into our energy mix. Methane is 80 times more warming than CO2. An FSRU will not be an emergency reserve. In order to remain safe, the gas needs to be vented, emptied and refilled at least six times every year.”
“Labhróidh mise ar dtús. Tá trí nóiméad agam. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. It is no exaggeration to say that the global economy we have built around extractor consumerism is totally dependent on the availability of cheap and reliable fossil fuels, and that the reliance on oil and gas has led the world into countless conflicts in modern times. We do not need to tell anyone that. It is not called black gold for nothing. Control of their own fossil fuel resources has genuinely brought independence and sovereignty to many nations, including Arab nations. It has brought levels of prosperity and progress but has also brought misery, pollution and death. What it has not brought is security. Even nations that control their own fossil fuel resources have neither energy security nor physical security.”
“The Working in Ireland Survey 2025 found that 44% of workers in Ireland are not in a union, while 52% of young workers have said that they want to be part of a union. However, Ireland continues to lag farther behind. It is frustrating that during trade union week and in the run-up to May Day on Friday that Ireland lags behind every other country in Europe when it comes to our collective bargaining rights.”