A Cork Cllr has accused the Irish Government of seriously endangering our national energy security by blocking the extraction of oil and gas in East Cork, which he says could match Whitegate Oil refinery and allow the Irish state to be self-sufficient in meeting its energy demands.
Aontú Cllr Peter O’ Donoghue says he finds it deeply ironic that the Irish Government blasted fuel protestors for engaging in what it termed ‘national sabotage’ during the weeklong protests while in reality it is they who putting our energy supply at risk.
He says.
“I think the present Government was pointing the finger at the wrong people entirely and would be better employed to look a bit closer to home.
“I find it staggering that it is actively blocking the extraction of oil and gas at Barryroe, off the coast of Cork, which is one of the largest undeveloped gas and oil fields in Europe.
The current war in Iran has really exposed our deep vulnerability around our energy supply. We are totally exposed and at the mercy of the vagaries of other countries, thousands of miles from us. This is plain for anyone who wants to see the situation for what it is.
We are a small island nation bringing oil from North Africa, Norway and the United States when we have a rich source off our own coast that is not being utilised. It is nonsensical in the extreme and smacks of a government that is devoid of both the ability and the will to protect the interests of its people.
It is nonsensical and shows this Government is far more concerned about bowing and acquiescing to the demands of Europe than acting in the interests of the people it is supposed to serve.
Not utilising our own rich natural resources to ensure we are self-sufficient as much as possible is not the hallmarks of a good government .
Currently our Government is risking our energy supply.
We have plenty of oil and gas but we’re importing it.
We have plenty of turf, but we are importing it.
Barryroe Oil and Gas field has the capacity to provide the Irish state with at least six years of oil. We use some 50 million barrels a year and it has 1.6 billion barrels of oil in total, with over 300 million barrels of oil extractable using today’s technology. The other 1.3 billion barrels of Oil providing an extra 20 plus years of Oil if the technology in the future develops to allow this.
The Oil in Barryroe is a light sweet crude oil, the same that is being refined in Whitegate which is currently Irelands sole refinery.
It is a no brainer, and the Irish government has a duty to allow its extraction.
Barryroe is just one of several rich natural sources of energy supply around our coastline and I have put forward a motion that Cork County Council writes to the Minister for Climate ,Environment and Energy and request that the development of Barryroe Oil and Gas field be prioritised as matter of energy security for the Irish state”.
