IN ONE OF the more bizarre disputes in the Irish political sphere, the Green Party has accused the Hollywood actor Mark Ruffalo of giving a “very misleading account” of what is included in new legislation about liquified natural gas (LNG).

Later this evening, the long-promised Planning and Development Bill will go before TDs for a final vote in the Dáil.

While some opposition TDs have accused Government of siding with developers and attempting to guillotine the legislation, Ruffalo, who plays The Hulk in The Avengers, is angry over conditions for LNG included in the proposed law.

The actor has taken issue with the bill designating LNG facilities as “strategic infrastructure”. 

Last week, the High Court overturned a decision by An Bord Pleanála to deny permission for the construction of the Shannon LNG terminal in north Kerry.  The plans can now be re-submitted to An Bord Pleanála.

In a post to social media last night, Ruffalo claimed the Green Party is “about to do something really terrible to the environment and our climate”, by voting to approve the new law.

Irish friends, watch this video Alison Oliver and I made about how the @greenparty_ie is about to break its promise and pass a bill to fast-track & prioritise dangerous LNG terminals. Then sign & share the petition telling them to stop it and ban LNG! https://t.co/1TugQGHGoY pic.twitter.com/lhJVZUWpEo

— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) October 8, 2024

He accused the party of trying to “jam through a bill to fast track building LNG terminals that would import fracked gas from the United States” and claimed this contradicted promises the party made to voters to stop the importation of fracked gas.

In a statement this afternoon, the Green Party said previous reports have identified a need for a “strategic gas reserve” as a backup in case the pipeline between Ireland and the UK is disrupted as the State moves towards more renewable sources of energy.

If the gas pipeline between the UK and Ireland is disrupted, the party argues that Irish households would be “seriously exposed without the power and heat supply we need”.

It added:

That is the only reason for this amendment. Keeping the lights on in Ireland is not something that Mark Ruffalo needs to worry about but it is something that the Irish Green Party obviously cares about.”

The party added that Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan has followed up on queries on whether or not the State needs to establish its own large battery storage and electricity interconnection.

A team has been established to analyse whether this would give Ireland “better protection” during the period where renewable sources begin to be prioritised and the stop-gap from the LNG terminal is needed.

Taoiseach Simon Harris was asked about Ruffalo’s comments during his visit to Washington. 

He said: “Obviously, anybody can make any comment they wish in a democracy, but Government has considered this legislation at great length.

“I think, from my memory, this is the second largest piece of legislation ever published. It’s time to get it passed, and I expect it to pass in the Dáil.”

Harris added that none of the provisions in the new legislation are different to what is included in existing legislation, meaning no new procedures in the planning application process will be introduced.

Environmental group Friends of the Earth has called on TDs to vote against the Bill. It says the Bill “fast-tracks gas imports” and has called for LNG to be removed from the Bill.

In a poll commissioned by Friends of the Earth, and carried out by Ireland Thinks, 55% of respondents said Ireland should not build a terminal to import fracked gas from the US.

Some 27% said Ireland should build a terminal to import fracked gas, while 18% were unsure. 

Friends of the Earth’s chief executive Oisín Coghlan said the Green Party has “either took their eye off the ball with the Planning Bill or they don’t mind that the risk of new fossil fuel import terminals”.

During Leaders’ Questions today, Labour leader Ivana Bacik also took issue with the LNG provisions in the bill. She called for the proposals to be removed and for a moratorium on gas imports to be reinstated.

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