The Minister for the Environment has responded to accusations from the Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council that he won’t release the long-awaited energy security review because of its contents.
Fine Gael councillor Jim Finucane raised the issue at the recent Tralee Municipal District meeting.
The review of the security of Ireland’s electricity supply has been completed, but has not yet been published.
Cllr Jim Finucane called on the Municipal District management to write to Minister Eamon Ryan and ask him when the review will be published.
Cllr Finucane said this will once again become a huge issue for people when the weather gets colder.
The Fine Gael councillor said that Minister Ryan won’t release the review because of what’s in it.
In response to queries from Radio Kerry News, a spokesperson for the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications said the Minister engaged Dermot McCarthy to conduct this review.
Mr McCarthy is a former Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach and to the government.
The independent review had a remit to look at the circumstances requiring emergency measures to be introduced to secure electricity supply over the coming winters.
The spokesperson said the independent review was received and considered by Minister Ryan.
Minister Ryan has now decided that it would be better to publish the McCarthy report as a pillar for the overall Energy Security Package which his department is working on, given the department is developing further energy security analysis.
The spokesperson said the recommendations from the review will inform the actions in the forthcoming Energy Security Package, which will be published shortly.
The spokesperson made no reference to the contents of the energy security review in the statement.
