In the past month, Ireland has seen the damage we have done to our own economy by not being energy independent. We import fossil fuel and now we know how delicate this is. One major disruption and Ireland goes dry. We all know we must steer away from fossil fuels and towards renewables but the Tánaiste knows for today, tomorrow and far into the future, tractors, lorries and hi-macs will need fossil fuel to keep the country going.

Since I came into the Dáil, I have been calling for the exploration of the Barryroe oil field. Minor checks look positive and indicate it has the potential to create 45% of our gas and crude oil, which could even be more. This could be a chance to accelerate towards renewables and meet all the targets, which are not realistic at the present pace we are going. In 2021, the company sought a licence to do exploratory drilling. This was refused by the then Minister, Eamon Ryan. Now that we are in a time of crisis, will the Government meet with the company and hear its proposals? I am not asking the Tánaiste to say yes to drilling - just to meet and see how we can tie renewables into the proposed plan for Barryroe and how the State can benefit.

I thank Deputy Collins for raising this matter. I will ask the relevant Minister, Deputy O'Brien, to consider his request for a meeting.

From a factual point of view, the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 sets out changes in relation to not accepting new applications for petroleum authorisations or for future petroleum exploration licensing rounds. There are a number of existing licences - 13 across the country. If the Deputy is talking about a renewable element of this, I will ask the Minister to consider engaging and to come back to him directly.