Paul Murphy

The Minister said they were false.

What has happened in Temple Street is the abuse of vulnerable children. That abuse may have been motivated by a doctor or doctors who thought they knew best, were doing the best for the children and did not need to obey the rules. It may have been motivated by a hunt to maximise income through private health insurance. Regardless of the reason, it is abuse by individual doctors, such as Connor Gre…

8. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department has carried out, commissioned, or consulted on any research into the likely climate impact of US LNG imported into Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17929/25]

25. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on whether a commercial LNG facility along the lines of Shannon LNG is compatible with the State’s legally binding greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17927/25]

I asked the Minister previously if he was aware of the emissions impact that US LNG would have here, which is estimated to be at least 33% worse than coal. He initially ignored the question and then waffled on about it depending on various factors. I am asking again, more precisely, what research his Department has carried out, whether commissioned or consulted, into the likely climate impact of i…

I was at a Dáil Business Committee meeting.

The Minister has a very simple question in front of him. For the benefit of anyone watching these proceedings from outside the House, he receives the question in advance and his civil servants write an answer. The question asked whether the Minister and the Department have carried out, commissioned or consulted any research into the likely climate impact of US energy imported into Ireland. The Min…

I do.

The message-----

Come on.

Yes, I have a fixation on climate change.

Climate change is going to destroy the lives of our children.

It is going to make----

-----the earth effectively largely uninhabitable for all but the richest. That is the trajectory we are on. I have a fixation on climate change, absolutely.

The Minister should have a fixation on climate change.

You should-----

Well, what do I have a fixation on?

What do I have a fixation on? If it was not climate change, what do I have a fixation on?

So-----

I have a fixation on climate change, and if the Minister's point is that I have a fixation on fossil fuels, yes, I do, because fossil fuels are what is driving the vast majority of climate change. He is proposing, as Minister for the environment, who has responsibility for climate action, to import the dirtiest fossil fuel possible. That is what he is proposing. He is saying now to not worry. He i…

I did support the climate Act. The Government is not implementing it.

Will the Minister correct the record in respect of the climate Act?

9. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the role of data centres and capacity payments in pushing up the cost of energy for households and privatising the energy system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17930/25]

It was recently reported that householders collectively paid approximately €454 million per year in capacity payments to data centres between 2007 and 2018. Since then, it has more than doubled to €1 billion per year. With 11 more data centres under construction and applications for 30 more, this massive subsidy from ordinary people to data centres is only going to grow. Is the Government going to…

That sounded like an admission that data centres are pushing up household energy prices. The Minister of State might confirm that the Government accepts that is happening. That means the crazy data centre policy of the Government to allow big tech to come here and dump as much of this 21st century toxic waste as it can is not only driving us further from our climate goals, where the extra energy u…