The Indo Daily: Mary Lou McDonald, Ireland's next president?
On Wednesday, Catherine Connolly officially joined the hunt, launching her Independent campaign for the Presidency, promising not to take her full salary - but looking forward to a United Ireland "very soon".
Ms Connolly defended a trip to Syria with Mick Wallace, Clare Daly and Maureen O'Sullivan when dictator Bashir al-Assad was in power, and said she was "right at the time" when she previously backed journalist Gemma O'Doherty for a Presidential run.
The Galway West Independent rejected the idea that she was the "continuity candidate" after 14 years of Michael D Higgins, for whom she wanted to be a running mate.
Earlier in the week former EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness predicted the presidential campaign will be 'full on' after being confirmed as the Fine Gael candidate.
'I am conscious of the opportunity and challenge ahead, given the very important constitutional role of the President, and the esteem in which the office is held by the people,' she wrote.
Today on The Indo Daily, Kevin Doyle is joined by Mary Regan, Political Editor with the Irish Independent and Fionnán Sheahan, Ireland Editor with The Irish Independent, to discuss the current state of play in the race to the Áras and grade the candidates on their performances so far.
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Irish Independent
3 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Petrol prices fall slightly as diesel steady offering slight relief for motorists
Unleaded petrol now averages €1.73 per litre, according to the latest monthly fuel price survey from AA Ireland. This is down 4c from June when it was selling for an average of €1.77. Diesel prices have held steady at €1.69 per litre. AA Ireland said the slight softening in petrol costs and the fact that diesel prices have not moved was a small but welcome relief for motorists. More than half of the price of a litre of motor fuel at forecourts is made up of tax and other State levies. There was no change in electric vehicle (EV) charging costs at home. But EV charging on-the-go costs with ESB ecars will increase from €0.59kWh to €0.66kWh for their high-powered chargers from Friday. An spokesperson for AA Ireland said: 'July brings a small shift in the right direction for petrol drivers, with prices easing slightly. 'While diesel remains unchanged, the stability may offer some predictability for most motorists as we move through summer when longer drives usually take place.' The spokesperson said the recent changes to EV on-the-go charging prices by ESB ecars, while still competitive in market, will add additional costs to the motorist. This will especially impact those on staycations that have no alternative option to charge. AA Ireland encouraged drivers to take proactive steps to manage fuel usage. Driving habits have a direct impact on efficiency, and simple actions such as smooth acceleration, maintaining correct tyre pressure, and removing unnecessary weight from the vehicle, can all help reduce costs, the spokesperson said. Crude oil prices rose this week after US President Donald Trump said he was reducing a 50-day deadline given to Vladimir Putin to agree a deal with Ukraine. Brent crude futures settled $2.47, or 3.53%, higher at $72.51 a barrel Oil prices had already risen on news of a EU-US trade deal. Oil prices had risen earlier in the day on Monday as investors reacted to news of a EU-US trade deal, announced on Sunday. Among other provisions, the EU agreed to buy $750 billion of US energy products, including oil, LNG, and nuclear energy over three years. Trump's tariff threats have previously deflated oil prices this year as investors predicted that a potential economic slowdown could affect demand for oil. Geopolitical risk, on the other hand, has stoked prices in cases where investors have expected threats to supply. US attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, for example, prompted a spike in oil prices in June. An OPEC+ committee meeting is taking place on Monday, where participants will decide on production policy for September. Both the International Energy Agency and the US Energy Information Administration expect a strong oil surplus next year, with supply outpacing demand. After securing a deal with the EU, Washington has now set its sights on negotiations with China. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are meeting with Chinese officials, including Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, on Monday in Stockholm.
The Journal
4 hours ago
- The Journal
Fracked gas could enter Ireland's energy supplies as EU promises US billions in 'energy cooperation'
INCREASED IMPORTS OF liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US, including harmful fracked gas, could enter Ireland's energy supplies after the EU promised to spend billions of euro on 'energy cooperation' with Trump as part of the tariffs trade deal. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump met in Scotland over the weekend to strike a trade deal in the wake of Trump imposing tariffs on the EU. In addition to agreeing on a new 15% tariff rate for EU exports to the US, the EU has promised to spend around €650bn on LNG, oil and nuclear fuels from the US over the next three years. Climate activists have said it is a step backwards for Europe in its efforts to switch to renewables and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change. In a statement after the deal was struck with Trump, von der Leyen said: 'We will increase our energy cooperation. Purchases of US energy products will diversify our sources of supply and contribute to Europe's energy security.' 'We will replace Russian gas and oil with significant purchases of US LNG, oil and nuclear fuels,' she said. The White House said that the EU agreed 'to purchase $750bn [€650bn] in US energy' by 2028. Advertisement Von der Leyen and Trump speaking to media on Sunday after meeting in Scotland. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Trump's stance on energy policy has been to remove supports for renewable energy developments and incentivise fossil fuel projects, which he lauds for their financial prospects despite having a massively negative impact on the planet. That has spanned oil, coal, and gas, including fracked gas, a method of extraction that is even worse for the environment and human health than more conventional drilling methods. The Journal asked the Department of Climate if the energy aspect of the trade deal could mean that Ireland could end up with more US fossil fuel imports in its energy mix – either inadvertently through interconnection with the continent, or deliberately through planned LNG infrastructure called a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) that received approval on 4 March . A spokesperson for the department said the FSRU 'is likely to be leased, subject to an open market competition' and that 'the contract for replenishing of the FSRU with LNG will also be an open market procurement'. The spokesperson noted that the government's decision to approve the FSRU also brought about the end of a previous government policy which had banned the direct importation of fracked gas. 'Any application for fossil fuel infrastructure in Ireland will be subject to the planning, consenting and regulatory approvals by relevant bodies and the provision of the Climate Act 2015-2021 will apply. In line with EU and National Legislation, there is no specific prohibition on fracked gas over other forms of fossil fuel – a level playing field applies,' the spokesperson said. 'Bad news for the planet' The Green Party has criticised the EU's acceptance of the energy clause slotted into the trade deal. The party's European affairs spokesperson and former MEP Ciarán Cuffe said that averting the trade war came at a 'heavy cost'. 'It will lock the European Union into buying vast amounts of oil and fracked gas from the United States. This is bad news for the planet and may derail the EU's climate targets in the coming years,' Cuffe warned. 'US President Trump's views on climate contradict what we know about our warming world and will have heavy consequences in years to come,' he said. Related Reads Environmental activist shot dead in Peru over work to save Amazon rainforest Countries causing climate crisis could be ordered to pay reparations to victims Councillor Janet Horner described the move to grow spending on fossil fuels as 'immoral, short-sighted and deeply damaging'. Horner said the 'outrageously high target is a move in the total wrong direction given the urgency of moving away from fossil fuel'. She added that Europe's long term energy security 'lies in low-carbon fuels such as wind and solar' but that these are 'being directly attacked by the US administration'. 'It is a betrayal of all who are working tirelessly to secure a climate stable future that von der Leyen, on behalf the EU, has offered this up on the chopping block of the negotiations.' Shay O'Reilly, a spokesperson for Beyond Fossil Fuels, a coalition of groups campaigning for decarbonisation, told The Journal that 'the past few years of energy crisis has shown that relying on fossil gas imports remains far riskier for the EU than investing in homegrown renewables'. O'Reilly said the EU-US deal 'opens the door for countries and utilities to lock in more US gas', which risks 'undermining Europe's push for energy independence'. 'True energy security lies in building a resilient domestic grid powered by renewables, not doubling down on foreign gas,' he said. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Irish Times
Irish renewable energy policy gets a badly needed reality check
The hype around Ireland's vast amount of potential offshore renewable energy and ambition to become an energy exporting country needed a hard reality check. It has come in a series of reports to the Government from the National Economic & Social Council on what fulfilling that national aspiration entails beyond supporting policy. Repeated political declarations of wanting to scale up renewable electricity – 40 gigawatts plus, many times current power demand – were too easily trotted out by governments getting uneasy about the climate threat on our doorstep and multibillion euro fines becoming more likely no matter how you divide up the carbon cake. The first report published in April concluded Ireland's transition to a clean energy economy risks heading into 'strategic fog' with a lack of clarity and certainty about future reliability of the country's energy supply. READ MORE The second and third were published on Wednesday. The former concluded that cost-competitiveness challenges left unaddressed would make it impossible for the State to become a renewables exporter. The issue is summed up by the observation that with 'approximately 50 per cent of Ireland's electricity produced from gas-fired power plants, [it] made Irish electricity prices the most exposed in Europe to resulting regional gas market volatility'. [ Scrapped Amazon plant a sign of Ireland hitting the infrastructural buffers Opens in new window ] There is increasing vulnerability from 'fossil fuel import dependency', while our subsea gas pipelines and power interconnectors could become the target of malign actors. The latter underlines the need for anticipation of needs and likely demand with an inevitable supply chain crunch, not helped by profound upheaval in global trade, over-reliance on China and lack of EU manufacturing capacity. The international supply chain for wind technologies highlights our exposure to emerging bottlenecks with turbine components; critical raw materials, offshore substations and installation vessels. Meanwhile, ports are not fit for purpose – not to mention planning and permitting procedures. These reports are not killing the dream of energy independence; a shift away from the most expensive electricity in Europe and an end to price volatility. They chart a way through the minefields. In particular, 'Ireland's energy strategy must adapt to the reality that strategic trade dependencies will not cease but will instead take new forms', whether it's buying our renewables or co-operating on enhanced grid connectivity. Furthermore, risk of geopolitical tensions affecting key oil and gas 'transit chokepoints' is increasing. It threatens the security of our energy supply, especially with reliance on gas supplies from the UK and crude oil from the US – after the putative tariff agreement between Trump and the EU this week, American LNG can be added to that list. The case for getting off fossil fuels couldn't be clearer, and the NESC reports are grounds for conditional optimism. With more than ample offshore resources and the correct strategic approach, we can become a clean energy exporter. Notwithstanding current uncertainties and high costs, Ireland could break into an international green hydrogen market, generating the fuel using offshore wind, provided strategic partnerships are formed with countries requiring large quantities of the fuel. [ Taoiseach to 'delve into' Amazon's scrapping of Dublin plant over failure to secure power supply Opens in new window ] Taoiseach Micheál Martin this week convened a meeting of industry leaders and Government officials to address the challenge of accelerating offshore wind delivery. He knows there is a growing risk of Ireland falling behind in the energy transition and implications this has for the country as a place to do business amid a data/AI revolution. We must acknowledge the challenges honestly, he underlined, and 'work together to expedite the development of a sector that will be central to Ireland's economic and energy future'. These NESC reports and on-the-ground know-how can help deliver the required push-through.
