Ryan’s energy policy runs out of steam

ENERGY Minister Eamon Ryan (August 21) claims that “Ireland will become the world leader of Government-led renewable technology and energy conservation within five years.”

He also says that 33% of all electricity will be supplied by renewable energy within a decade.

Several European countries already exceed this figure. They are also less dependent on fossil fuels for home heating (the largest consumer of domestic energy), using wood in rural areas and district heating in towns.

However, with transport responsible for half of our energy requirement and growing at 7% per year (not to mention the energy used in road-building), the trivial savings in domestic energy mentioned by Mr Ryan are irrelevant.

Improved fuel efficiency for cars, even if it were possible, would be ‘used up’ in bigger cars covering more miles, while subsidising biofuels, especially when their proposed contribution is not even enough to counteract traffic growth, will do nothing to reduce the increasing demand for fossil oil.

Without traffic reduction, Mr Ryan’s policies would be a joke were it not for the gravity of the problem. This requires providing an alternative to the car, physical restrictions and road charges.

To justify this, he must produce a study to quantify the direct and indirect costs of the road transport system and demolish the popular mythology of the persecuted and overtaxed motorist. He should not underestimate the intelligence of the plain people of Ireland; if the policy was well written and well publicised, it would be well received.

Michael Job

Rossnagreana

Glengarriff

Co Cork