Elaine Loughlin: It's gas that three letters could spell RIP for coalition Government

Liquified natural gas (LNG) is such a contentious issue within the Green Party that any serious move to allow a terminal be built would be a walking matter 

Could just three letters be the thing that tears apart the tripartite Government?

Liquified natural gas (LNG) is such a contentious issue within the Green Party that any serious move to allow a terminal to be built would be a walking matter — yet there has been growing chatter within Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in recent months.

Eamon Ryan’s party fought hard to get a commitment into the programme for government that states: “As Ireland moves towards carbon neutrality, we do not believe that it makes sense to develop LNG gas import terminals importing fracked gas. 

"Accordingly, we shall withdraw the Shannon LNG terminal from the EU Projects of Common Interest list.”

However, this line seems to have been ignored by some members of the Government, including Leo Varadkar, who now appear to be actively lobbying in support of the construction of LNG terminals here.

Of course, local agendas and party politics may be at play. Fine Gael TD for Limerick Patrick O’Donovan and Kerry TD Brendan Griffin, who have gone as far as suggesting that the programme for government should be re-drafted to allow for LNG, would see a direct boost for their constituencies if a €650m terminal beside the Shannon estuary was to get the green light.

Those in favour of re-examining LNG point to job creation and the certainty around energy supply that a terminal would bring.

Neasa Hourigan and members of the Not Here Not Anywhere group. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher said a recent EU-US LNG trade deal only strengthens the argument in favour of progressing the proposed terminal in Ballylongford, Co Kerry, which is awaiting a decision from An Bord Pleanála.

“The Irish Government needs to get off their hands and stop leaving the decisions solely up to the planning authorities,” he said.

However, these arguments are quickly dismissed by the Greens, who say the development of renewable energy would also boost employment without the environmental impact.

“LNG comes on tankers. Tankers, in terms of carbon emissions, are a completely unregulated industry. Shipping in general is a completely unregulated industry,” Green TD Neasa Hourigan said.

“If you look at the carbon footprints per watt of energy coming from LNG compared to your watt of energy coming from even coal, LNG is really bad. 

It’s 20% more polluting because of the manner in which it’s transported.

Added to the mix was the “dirty and highly volatile” method of processing the fuel and the fact that much of the world’s LNG comes from states such as Putin’s Russia and Qatar, which have lower labour standards, she said.

However, some in Government seem adamant to progress the LNG agenda.

Last week, the Tánaiste, who has been the source of a number of controversial proposals recently, suggested at a meeting of his parliamentary party that Fine Gael should be “braver” in its policy stances, claiming that a State-run LNG terminal was one idea that could be looked at in this regard.

Asked about this last Thursday, Helen McEntee, the justice minister, said: “Given what’s happened in the last six weeks [with the Russian attack on Ukraine], I don’t think anything should be taken off the table.”

While Taoiseach Micheál Martin has not gone quite as far as the taoiseach-to-be, he has in recent weeks left open the possibility of back-tracking on a core issue for the Greens.

“I think we’re in a war-time situation so we have to be working through all potential scenarios to make sure that we can guarantee energy security and also for the proper functioning of the economy in the short term,” he said.

“So we do have an open mind in terms of what’s the optimal route for Ireland to take in the short term to make sure that industry continues, that the economy continues to operate and that we have security.”

With such scant regard being shown for what was arguably their key precondition of entering Government, the Greens must be seething.

Green TD Neasa Hourigan said LNG was the only issue specifically marked out as a ‘red-line issue’ in advance of her party entering Government. Picture: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

One Green Party TD put it bluntly: “Realistically if we are to meet our climate targets and prevent mass extinction, we just cannot have LNG.”

In fact, members are so vehemently against LNG, some say they would find it harder to accept than the controversial Ceta trade deal with Canada, which Green TD Patrick Costello took a High Court challenge against.

“This is much more directly linked to our climate ambition,” a party source said.

“A lot of Green Party members voted to come into Government holding their noses because of the stark reality of having five or 10 years left to actually avert climate catastrophe, and this flies in the face of that ambition.”

Ms Hourigan, who launched a bill to keep Ireland LNG free back in February, pointed out that LNG was the only Green issue that was specifically marked out as a “red-line issue” in advance of entering Government.

“I don’t think we’d have the support of our members to set it aside. It was the only thing that we were absolute on,” she added.

This was echoed by Wicklow TD Steven Mathews, who was clear that LNG makes no sense “this time or anytime in the future”.

“Our future is in clean, renewable energy, abundant offshore wind energy, solar on every rooftop in the country and that’s how we will address our energy needs,” he said.

“The energy crisis is one of the most serious issues facing Government at the moment, including housing and health, and we’re going to address all of these serious issues, but there’s no need to start having solo runs and nonsensical projects just to appease local politics.”

Some members, including Ms Hourigan, do not believe that LNG will bring this Government to the brink and instead are sceptical in their interpretation of recent comments, claiming that it is all just bluster from their colleagues who are playing to their base in demanding a rethink on LNG terminals.

However serious the intentions of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael may be, inserting LNG back into the discussion does not help with what already have been at times extremely strained relationships.

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