Clare Senator Fianna Fáil Senator Timmy Dooley has written to the Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action Brian Leddin TD to call for the Committee to be reconvened in order to discuss the worsening and precarious energy security of the country.
Senator Dooley, who is a member of the Committee on Environment and Climate Action said:
“I have today written to the chair of the committee to ask that he reconvenes the committee immediately in order to discuss and debate the current situation and the contingencies that must be put in place to maintain the state’s energy security.
“Today marks the second consecutive day of amber alerts being put on the electricity market. According to the Single Electricity Market Operator (SEMO), these amber alerts are in place as a result of a “generation shortfall in Ireland”.
“This leaves the national grid in a very precarious position where the demand for electricity is reaching very close to the level of available supply.
“We need to begin to devise our contingencies in terms of energy security and we must be transparent with the public while working with our utilities to ensure that we maintain a secure supply of energy as we head into the winter period and beyond.
“It’s imperative the committee is reconvened at the earliest possible stage to facilitate hearings with the relevant stakeholders within the countries energy companies and to co-ordinate the states response to the crisis.”