EuroParlRadio

Don’t lock investment in fossil fuels warns O’Sullivan MEP

Ireland needs to ramp up its investment in green energy projects and avoid putting money into fossil fuel projects in a panic to secure alternative energy supplies to Russian ones.  

That's the recommendation from Green MEP Grace O'Sullivan. Her comments come as pressure mounts on the EU to stop importing Russian gas and oil. The overwhelming majority of MEPs this week called for a full and immediate embargo of EU imports of Russian coal, oil and gas and nuclear fuel.

The vote follows the latest IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report which calls for urgent measures to limit global warming to one and a half degrees Celsius (1.5°C). And it shows the impact of climate change is greater than previously estimated.

Out words: degree limit

Dur:    00:26

Post-Brexit supply of medicines secured for Northern Ireland – Clune

The overwhelming majority of MEPs today approved derogations from EU Directives to ensure an indefinite supply of medicines to Northern Ireland post-Brexit.

The vote should also resolve supply issues for Ireland, Cyprus and Malta for the next three years.

Fine Gael MEP Deirdre Clune led the negotiations for the EPP group on the derogations. She says that because of Brexit, medicines authorised in the UK were prevented from being brought into Northern Ireland. But today’s vote should resolve those problems.  

Out words: Northern Ireland

Dur: 00:16

Interview Cuffe on ending Russian energy imports & LNG terminal

News that the EU is spending a whopping one billion euro (€1bn) every day on Russian energy supplies have left many of us scratching our heads and wondering how the EU became so reliant on Russia for oil, gas and coal. 

The European Commission this week announced more sanctions against Russia including a ban on coal imports.  But so far EU countries haven’t agreed to embargo oil and gas because some of them are highly dependent on Russia for their energy supplies.

On Thursday the overwhelming majority of MEPs voted for an immediate embargo on imports of Russian oil, gas, nuclear fuel and coal. Green Party MEP Ciarán Cuffe says it’s time to wean ourselves off fossil fuels and accelerate the development of renewable energy sources. He spoke to Karen Coleman (Editor EuroParlRadio) in Strasbourg about the energy crisis.  

Out words : stable condition

Dur: 05:09

 

MEPs demand immediate embargo on Russian oil, gas, coal & nuclear fuel

The vast majority of MEPs have just voted to impose an immediate embargo on imports of Russian oil, gas, coal and nuclear fuel.

An embargo could cause severe problems but Green MEP Ciarán Cuffe says Ireland shouldn't panic and invest billions in developing fossil fuel projects to address a short-term energy crisis if the EU stops buying Russian oil and gas.

He says Ireland and other EU countries have an opportunity now to accelerate the development of renewable energy sources. 

The Dublin MEP is against supporting fossil fuel projects such as the Shannon Liquified Natural Gas terminal proposed for North Kerry.

Out words: years’ time

Dur: 00:18

From laggards to leaders, Ireland’s green opportunity – O’Sullivan

Green MEP Grace O’Sullivan says Ireland has a golden opportunity to become a global leader and provider of green energy.

And she says the energy crisis means it’s critical that Ireland ramps up investment in clean energies.

Out words: energy security

Dur: 00:20

Don’t jump from frying pan to fire on energy supplies warns Cuffe

Green MEP Ciarán Cuffe is warning the EU “not to jump from the frying pan into the fire” as the bloc tries to wean itself off Russian energy supplies.

The EU is now proposing to ban imports of Russian coal.  But so far EU countries have not agreed to impose an embargo on Russian gas and oil because of their dependence on them. 

However, Ciarán Cuffe says the EU must resist the temptation to take gas and oil from other countries with poor human rights records. We should focus instead on renewable energy sources says the Dublin MEP.

Out words: fuel addiction

Dur: 00:22

Clune urges MEPs to back post-Brexit medicines supply solution

MEPs are today voting on EU proposals to secure the long-term supply of medicines to Northern Ireland post-Brexit while ensuring the integrity of the EU single market is protected.

If MEPs back these proposals, they would ensure continuity of supply of generic and innovative medicines to Northern Ireland from Britain.

Fine Gael MEP Deirdre Clune says that because of Brexit, medicines authorised in the UK were prevented from being brought into Northern Ireland. But the Commission proposed ways to get around those obstacles.

Out words: any restrictions

Dur: 00:19

Interview Sean Kelly on Russian sanctions & Shannon LNG plans

The European Commission’s foreign policy chief admitted to MEPs on Wednesday that Europe is spending a staggering one billion euro a day (€1bn) on Russian energy supplies.

The Commission has proposed further sanctions against Russia including imports of coal. But so far they’ve avoided demands for an embargo of gas and oil from Russia.

This week all of Fine Gael’s five MEPs called for a full EU-wide embargo on the import of Russian coal, oil and gas as soon as possible.

Well EuroParlRadio’s editor Karen Coleman met Sean Kelly in the European Parliament and asked him about the latest proposed EU sanctions.

Out words: of supply

Dur: 03:47

Shannon LNG terminal will help guarantee gas supplies – Kelly

The development of a planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Kerry is needed more urgently than ever. So says Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly who was speaking in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The European Commission’s foreign policy chief admitted to MEPs (Wednesday) yesterday that Europe is spending a staggering one billion euro a day (€1bn) on Russian energy supplies. There are increasing demands for the EU to impose an embargo on imports of Russian gas and oil because of the atrocities being committed against the Ukrainians.

Sean Kelly is calling for the Shannon LNG project to be given the green light to proceed to help guarantee Ireland’s energy security.

Out words: security of supply

Dur: 00:45

Shannon LNG project “more urgent than ever” - Kelly

The war on Ukraine and the EU’s over-dependence on Russia for vital energy supplies, mean the proposed LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal beside the Shannon estuary is urgently needed.   

That’s according to Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly who was speaking in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

This morning the European Commission’s foreign policy chief told MEPs, Europe is spending a staggering one billion euro a day (€1bn) on Russian energy supplies. Sean Kelly says such a spend is embarrassing and that it demonstrates the need to develop LNG plants such as that proposed for County Kerry.

Out words: looked at

Dur: 00:40