Letters to the Editor: The heat’s on to secure our energy supply long-term
Irish households and businesses are today left to the mercy of the markets and are paying unprecedented and debilitating prices at the fuel pumps and for home heating and cooking.
It was bound to happen, sooner rather than later, the political chickens have come home to roost.
As we face into a medium- to long-term future of energy uncertainty, the probability of blackouts looms large.
Not only will this effect every household in the country, but it will have long-term reputational and negative effects on the economy as a whole.
Already, the IDA have stated that energy uncertainty and lack of security are impacting negatively on our ability to attract Foreign Direct Investment, currently the lifeblood of the Irish economy.
The reason of course is due to decades of gross political mismanagement of our offshore resources, both fisheries and oil and gas.
Our once-thriving fishing industry has been decimated by overfishing, mainly by voracious foreign factory ships and trawlers, while Irish fishermen and women watch on, tied up and restricted by minimalist and unfair EU imposed quotas.
The recent premature and irresponsible decision to cease issuing oil and gas licences off our coast, required a total volte-face by the Varadkar government in 2019, clearly driven by political expediency, leaves us at the mercy of Putin’s political shenanigans and other equally volatile suppliers.
Because we have failed dismally to develop our own supplies close to home, as usual, Irish households and businesses are today left to the mercy of the markets and are paying unprecedented and debilitating prices at the fuel pumps and for home heating and cooking.
The futility and irresponsibility of current coalition policy was again highlighted by the necessity of the utilities regulator to call for a massive increase in back-up natural gas generation and the continuation of coal-burning Moneypoint.
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan’s rather naïve and tepid response was that "we should rely on our own energy resources", not long after shutting down the offshore source with the greatest potential for our energy independence and security.
Everybody realises that we should be developing our sustainable renewable sources at a fast pace, but the same ham-fisted mismanagement, planning and legal issues are seriously hampering progress here as well.
The recent unfortunate decision by the renowned Norwegian renewables company Equinor, to pull out of Ireland, was a reflection of the same political bungling and a crucial blow.
The time has long passed to remove the crucial responsibility for energy management from short term political chicanery and influence, and like the Norwegians, set up a totally independent and professional body with national rather than political interest at its core.
He was in peril of being the first leader of his party not to become taoiseach when he was so elected in June 2020 in the midst of a pandemic of yet unfathomable predictability and effect.
He has had to ‘address the nation’ more times than any predecessor in such a short interval, invariably bearing bad news.
He is reminded, poll after opinion poll, of the seepage of his party’s traditional republican vote to a “relative reborn” to democratic politics.
He is constantly in the firing line, taking relentless punishment on a daily basis from the opposition while meantime the buzzards in his own party prepare their flight plan.
His county having reached this year’s All-Ireland hurling final made headlines in being awarded no All Stars. Can it get much worse?
Unfortunately I’m afraid so, his tánaiste in government, Leo Varadkar, will in little more than a year have taken his post from him.
As the person with ultimate responsibility he continues to toil for this country as he genuinely sees fit, so in deference to the season upon us, ‘party politics’ aside, he is surely deserving of our appreciation this Christmas time.
Have a happier new year, Micheál Martin.
It is long past time Fianna Fàil reviewed their “circulation figures”. Look at Sinn Féin. This is getting serious.
Over Christmas Fianna Fáil politicians need think about why they bothered getting into politics. This is the issue and challenge of your time.
They should be glad they live in an important time and do something about it.
“Welfare Cheats Cheat Us All” — that was Leo Varadkar’s famous phrase.
You may have thought it was a mean-spirited campaign painting a nasty coat on the most vulnerable of society, or you may have thought it sensible fiscal management.
In any case, this past year has seen a lot of welfare given out by Government for people, but also for companies.
It seems companies have made millions in profit, while also taking millions in “corporate welfare”.
According to Paschal Donohoe, there’s no way to hold them accountable. He’d go after someone for €203 a week, but not €50,000.
When is a welfare cheat not a cheat? When they have shareholders.
The law is majestic when criminals who torture victims are given lengthy sentences.
The law is an ass when an older woman is given five months in prison for not wearing a face mask.
May I compliment Pete Wedderburn on his recent excellent article — Is Government funding for animal welfare money well spent? (Irish Examiner, December 19).
As he points out, the money granted to rescue organisations around this country is money well spent, and money which will be much needed as these organisations try to deal with the annual post-Christmas glut of discarded puppies.
The tens of millions of euro handed over to the greyhound racing industry every year is, of course, a different story.
Wedderburn is right when he concludes this funding is a waste of money which should be discontinued.
Within the last few days, we have witnessed the rigging of elections in Hong Kong; pro-democracy candidates were prevented from standing and pro-Beijing candidates took 90% of the seats.
Prior to this, we had also seen pro-democracy media tycoon, 79-year-old Jimmy Lai, and other pro-democracy activists receive severe jail sentences under the draconian National Security Laws.
Why has there not been a similar response from EU Member States, including Ireland?
Nor should we also forget that the Chinese authorities are still preventing Richard O’Halloran, an Irish businessman who has been detained without charge in China for nearly three years, from joining his family for Christmas.
