THERE WERE IMPASSIONED speeches in the Dáil this afternoon as TDs debated proposed amendments to the government’s bill to introduce a gas storage facility in Co Clare. 

The Strategic Gas Reserve Bill allows for a fast-tracked liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage unit to be built in the Shannon Estuary. 

The government argues it is needed for energy security in the event of a disruption to imported gas supplies, but detractors of the bill say it is tying our economy into dependence on LNG, a polluting fossil fuel that is a significant contributor to global warming.

Currently, 80% of Ireland’s gas is piped in from Britain. 

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy told the Dáil that today, 30 June 2026, “should go down as the day of the bonfire of our climate targets”.

Murphy accused the government of “ramming through” the bill with “no proper oversight or debate”. 

“We aren’t coming close to meeting our climate targets, because they are being ignored,” he said, adding that the government was “utterly abandoning all climate commitments” to satisfy US President Donald Trump. 

This was a reference to Trump telling Taoiseach Micheál Martin that Ireland needs to buy US LNG when he visited the White House in March of this year. 

“We shouldn’t be investing in any fossil fuel infrastructure at all, none. It flies in the face of the science,” Murphy said. 

Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “This is not a climate issue, it is an energy security issue.” 

Martin said the government was warned by the Department of Energy that “if anything happens the gas interconnections with Britain, our economy is in trouble within 10 days”.

“It would be totally irresponsible of any government not to act on that advice,” he said. 

Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore said she accepted the argument on energy security but that no alternatives were properly considered by the government.

“There is a fear that the facility will… increase our gas usage,” Whitmore said. 

Labour TD Ciarán Ahern took issue with the proposed amendments being “ignored” and specifically took issue with the text of the bill not explicitly stating that the facility is only to be used in emergency circumstances, as is being promised by the government. 

“This is long-term fossil fuel infrastructure that is being built. And we want to believe you that this is only going to be used in emergency circumstances. That it isn’t going to be commercially driven, but there is nothing in this bill to give us any confidence in that,” Ahern said. 

Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman took issue with the government’s handling of the bill, saying it was being rushed through. 

He also sought to amend the legislation so that it explicitly says the infrastructure will remain in public ownership and not be used for commercial purposes. 

Sinn Féin TD Donna McGettigan noted that Ireland is among the most fossil fuel-dependent countries in Europe and said we should be focusing on scaling up wind energy. 

She claimed the facility will actually hike energy bills for average households. 

Responding to these amendments, Minister for Climate and Energy Darragh O’Brien said the legislation is “absolutely urgent” given that only 20% of Ireland’s gas is produced domestically. 

He said separate legislation, which will cover the operation of the facility, will explicitly state that the facility is publicly-owned and run. 

Similarly, Junior Minister in the Department of Climate and Energy, Timmy Dooley, said the bill is solely about energy security and claimed it will not add to CO2 emissions. 

“When we get to a point that we don’t need that back-up storage… well then we can move that fossil fuel piece to another location or dispense with it or sunset,” he said, adding that the government was not accepting any of the amendments proposed by members of the opposition. 

Social Democrats TD Eoin Hayes said it is “outrageous” that the bill was being rushed through with limited debate and with no amendments being accepted.

“So it does feel actually, for a lot of people outside of this chamber, that we are going in the absolute wrong direction and that climate change is not a priority for this government,” Hayes said.

Petrol and diesel tax cuts

Elsewhere today, Tánaiste Simon Harris defended the government’s decision to extend the cut to excise duty on petrol and diesel in the midst of the climate crisis. 

Tánaiste Simon Harris says he “rejects outright” the idea that it is irresponsible of his government to further subsidise fossil fuels in the midst of the climate crisis. @thejournal.ie

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— Jane Matthews (@janematthews1.bsky.social) June 30, 2026 at 5:00 PM

He said he “rejects outright” the idea that it is irresponsible to do so.