Irish Daily Star

We’re winding up Euro energy war... RYAN’S VOW TO BOOST EU CAPACITY

- ■■Shauna CORR

MICHEAL Martin has promised the Government will “have to intervene to protect people” from the cost of living crisis in the Budget in two weeks’ time.

The Taoiseach was speaking from the Fianna Fáil parliament­ary party think-in at the Mullingar Park Hotel, Westmeath.

He also dismissed a leaked recommenda­tion from the Commission on Taxation that there should be a significan­t

“NO-ONE has ever weaponised access to the sun or wind,” said Eamon Ryan as nine countries, including our own, vowed to meet 85 per cent of the EU’s offshore wind target by 2050.

And with seas seven times our landmass, the Environmen­t, Climate and Communicat­ions Minister believes we are well placed to support the drive away from fossil fuels.

Ireland is co-president of the North Seas Energy Cooperatio­n which also includes Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherland­s, Norway, Sweden and the European Commission.

They agreed at a historic meeting in Dún Laoghaire yesterday to accelerate Europe’s move towards energy independen­ce by creating at least 260GW of the EU’s 300GW target. hike in inheritanc­e tax, saying that there is “no appetite” in the Coalition to take a bigger slice.

Resigned

Westmeath is the home of TD Robert Troy, who resigned as a junior minister when his controvers­ial property interests became the source of the political story of the summer.

This was Mr Troy’s first major public appearance since

That’s around 10 per cent of the EU’s energy supply which, Minister Ryan vowed, will be further boosted by solar and hydro energy.

“This project is in response to the war on energy that has been started by the Russian Government,” he said.

“The consequent­ial energy price shock and security of supply crisis has shown us how crucial it is we move away, as quickly as possible, from our reliance on expensive and ransomed fossil fuels. It is our opportunit­y to switch to our own resources, to protect our people, secure supply [and] lower costs.”

He admits that NSEC “should have his resignatio­n.

The Taoiseach stood shoulder to shoulder with Mr Troy at the think-in as the TD said he would “of course” be contesting the next general election.

Mr Troy added: “We’re looking and are focused on dealing with the challenges that are facing so many of our citizens.

“I dealt with the unintentio­nal errors that I made.”

“I issued a fulsome apology.” been quicker” to roll out renewables “but the war has changed things”.

And while he can’t guarantee there will be no blackouts this winter, he says the real challenge is the price we pay for fossil fuels.

Pinch

Powering Cork by Wind Energy Ireland was also launched yesterday by Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney.

While we feel the pinch of the energy crisis, it revealed how communitie­s, voluntary organisati­ons and schools in Co Cork benefitted from €437,000 of funding in 2020.

“It has never been more vital that we utilise our wind resources to create renewable energy,” he said.

 ?? ??
 ?? ?? VITAL: Coveney
VITAL: Coveney

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Ireland