Fears that Russia may cut off the gas supply to Europe, underlines the need for the Shannon LNG terminal in North Kerry.
That's according to Minister of State at the Office of Public Works and Fine Gael TD Patrick O'Donovan.
Shannon LNG Ltd, a subsidiary of New Fortress Energy, submitted a planning application to An Bórd Pleanála last August for a liquified natural gas terminal on the Tarbert-Ballylongford land bank.
Minister of State Patrick O'Donovan says Ireland needs to do everything it can to ensure energy security, adding we get most of our natural gas from the Persian Gulf, along with the UK and Norway which are outside of the EU.
Environment Minister and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan made a submission to An Bórd Pleanála on the planning application for the Shannon LNG terminal.
Minister O'Donovan says Minister Ryan was wrong to do this.
The department says Minister Ryan was listed as a prescribed body by An Bórd Pleanála and his submission was in response to this; the programme for Government states it wouldn't be appropriate for LNG terminals to be permitted, pending the outcome of a review of the security of energy supply of Ireland's electricity and natural gas systems.
Minister Patrick O'Donovan says he isn't a climate denier and says it's a big risk to not have an LNG terminal here:
