I thank the Deputy for the question and I genuinely thank him for the positive contribution he is making to this debate. This is what politics is about. He made the point about the different views the Labour Party might have. It is a good thing to have debate on policy. We do not do enough of it in this House. Politics has become far too performative, shouty and headline-grabbing. The fact that the Deputy is coming forward with a Bill, has engaged with us on it and is asking people for their views on it is a good and positive thing that we should be doing as legislators. Comhghairdeas and gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta on that.
Energy security is an important point because we have found ourselves, particularly in Ireland but more broadly across the European Union, very exposed to what happens very far away from our country. We can all commentate on what leaders of other countries do - that is not inconsequential - but we cannot necessarily change that. A conversation about energy security is extraordinarily important. We have a tendency - I am sure none of us is innocent of this - to list everything we are against: we are against this interconnector, that or the other. There is an onus on all of us to stop saying what we are against in terms of energy security and start saying what we are in favour of. Different people will have different views on that but I take that point, too.
My gut feeling on this is I do not understand why we have a legislative prohibition on nuclear energy. There might be policy reasons why people do not wish to pursue it and practical reasons why it is not efficient. We can debate that, but I am not sure primary legislation in the 21st century needs to prohibit nuclear energy. Why can we not assess, consider and debate rather than having that legislative prohibition? That is my position. I do not believe we should have a legislative prohibition on nuclear technology and I do not think that serves policy debate well. In fact, it shuts down policy debate. Different people will have different views. That is my view and I am entitled to it.
The programme for Government is clear on renewables. That has been the path we have been pursuing as a country. We are making good progress on that and need to make more progress. Here is where we get to the evidence piece. I am not an expert on energy. In fact, I think we could do with more expert voices on energy in the debate. However, I am told that the development of traditional nuclear power plants can take many years and require the creation of an entire new regulatory system that does not exist in Ireland, and that there can be issues around construction, procurement, safe demolition and disposal of waste. I am not saying that I have fully bought into this idea but debating and considering ideas around energy security is not a bad thing.
I am told by the Department of communications and energy that nuclear power might not practically be part of our national electricity production in this decade or, indeed, the next decade. I say that just to put these opinions on the table. I believe the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, is leading on developing an evidence base - that is helpful - for a pathway to decarbonise the Irish electricity system after 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The SEAI is considering a number of technologies, including small modular nuclear reactors, as part of that consideration of an evidence base. We need all the evidence and information. The first question is whether we want a primary legislative prohibition of that. There is some merit in debating that.
