Government Rushes €900m LNG Bill Through Dáil Ignoring Security Warnings, Clare Communities and Struggling Households

Civil Society Groups gather outside Leinster House today to oppose Government’s Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve Bill and LNG development in Ireland.

Friends of the Earth and organisations from across Ireland will gather outside Leinster House this Thursday at 1:00 PM to protest the Government’s fast-tracking of controversial new fossil fuel legislation.

The Government is currently rushing the ‘Strategic Gas Reserve’ Bill [1] through the Dáil before the summer recess. The legislation is designed to pave the way for a State-led, €900 million Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) terminal in Co. Clare [2]. The first Dáil debate will take place on Thursday afternoon with Committee stage scheduled for Tuesday, June 30th.

Environmental and civil society groups are strongly opposing the Bill, warning that it will impact on the health of communities in Clare, impose significant costs on struggling households through a new levy and lock Ireland into long-term fossil fuel dependence.

Jerry Mac Evilly, Head of Policy in Friends of the Earth has said,

“The Government’s LNG bill will deepen Ireland’s dependence on imported fossil gas at the exact moment we need to be building a healthier, fairer, and more resilient energy system. LNG is a liability, not a solution, and Friends of the Earth is calling on TDs to reject the ‘Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve Bill’. 

The Government is pushing for this dirty, expensive infrastructure at a time when household energy bills are already skyrocketing amid a global fossil fuel crisis and when Government data centre policy continues to increase gas reliance. 

It is extremely concerning  that the Government has ignored recommendations from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate [3], which called for proper analysis on how this terminal will impact climate targets, local communities, and customers’ bills. It also called for an updated energy security assessment of renewable energy deployment, battery storage, and demand reduction measures  taking account of the latest fossil fuel crisis.

The Government should halt this legislation until full, transparent assessments on the climate impact, the financial cost to the Irish taxpayer, and the long-term health risks to communities in Clare are actually published and reviewed

Ultimately, this terminal will mean more pollution impacting communities in the Shannon Estuary, more households left exposed to rising costs, and a dangerous long-term lock-in to fossil fuels.”

Notes

[1] Strategic Gas Reserve Bill is available here https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/bill/2026/72/eng/initiated/b7226d.pdf

[2] Oireachtas discussion of €900million cost here https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/joint_committee_on_climate_environment_and_energy/2026-02-04/speech/81/ 

[3] Oireachtas Committee on Climate PLS report and recommendations: https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/committee/dail/34/joint_committee_on_climate_environment_and_energy/reports/2026/2026-02-26_report-on-pre-legislative-scrutiny-of-the-general-scheme-of-the-strategic-gas-emergency-reserve-bill-2025_en.pdf