Colombian coal sourcing
Deputy Gannon asks whether Ireland may resume buying coal from Colombia, particularly from the Cerrejón mine, and whether a human rights assessment will be done. The Tánaiste says ESB will not source from that mine and will provide further detail.
Like the Tánaiste, in recent months I visited Colombia. I did so with the human rights organisation, Christian Aid. While there I visited the La Guajira region and the notorious Cerrejón coal mine, from which Ireland, through the ESB, purchased much of its coal supply until 2018. As a consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we rightly will not be engaging with Russia on the purchase of coal but is it our intention to purchase coal from Colombia once again? Will that coal come from the Cerrejón mine? If so, has a human rights assessment been carried out or will the Government commit to one?
