In the 1980s the Haughey Government, courtesy of Haughey's own utterances became known as the GUBU Government with GUBU standing for "grotesque, unbelievable bizarre and unprecedented"
Whatever about the 1980s in Ireland, in the 2020s in Northern Ireland we just get RABID Governance - Regressive, Abject, Broken, Incoherent and Dysfunctional (if you want an acronym).
Today DAERA signed off on a marine licence for underground gas storage in Islandmagee.
Meanwhile despite the fact the 'Gas to the West' project is likely to be just another taxpayer funded White Elephant the buildout of fossil fuel infrastructure continues in Co. Fermanagh. While elsewhere in the UK the big problem seems to be how to move people from fossil gas to heat pump technology, in Northern Ireland all our local parties seem committed to building out more fossil fuel infrastructure.
As I traverse Fermanagh I see lots of Sinn Fein, or should that be Spin Fein, signs about how they are saying 'No to Fracking'. I think it needs to be updated to saying 'No to Fracking Activists' as despite numerous attempts the leadership of SF doesn't appear to want to talk to the local groups here in Fermanagh.
We know from Ministerial questions that the subject of policy on petroleum licensing is to come before the Executive very soon. However the Executive are only going to be able to discuss the policy options brought forward by the Minister for the Economy. The Department/Minister for the Economy has failed to confirm that the option of prohibiting petroleum licensing will be one of those options. If those options do not include a policy to leave Northern Ireland's oil and gas resources unexplored and in the ground, then we are looking at the creation of an oil and gas industry in Northern Ireland.
WE ARE SEEKING A COMMITMENT FROM SINN FEIN AS ONE OF TWO EXECUTIVE PARTIES WITH AN EFFECTIVE VETO, THAT THEY WILL NOT ALLOW PETROLEUM LICENSING POLICY OPTIONS TO BE DISCUSSED AT THE EXECUTIVE UNLESS THE OPTION OF REMOVING PETROLEUM LICENSING ALTOGETHER IS TO BE INCLUDED.
The mechanics of the Executive are that the agenda must be agreed by both the First and Deputy First Minister. Sinn Fein have used this to excuse their inaction in bringing forward the moratorium on Petroleum Licensing to the Executive, as per the motion of 13 October 2020. They must ensure along with the other parties in the Executive that the motion as passed in the Assembly is effected in the Executive when policy options on petroleum licensing are discussed. This would see a formal moratorium being instigated, an official policy of leaving Northern Ireland's oil and gas resources in the ground and a commitment to adopting new, or, amending existing legislation to reflect this policy.
As the parties start ramping up for the forthcoming Assembly elections - which may be triggered sooner rather than later it may be worth having a few questions to ask candidates on the doorstep.
1. What is your party's policy in relation to oil and gas licensing ?
2. What is your party's policy on new fossil fuel infrastructure, including continued build out of Gas to the West ?
3. Do you believe the "its too expensive to do anything about climate change currently" argument is merely another form of climate change denial ?
4. Are you aware of the science regarding 'blue hydrogen' from fossil gas which shows such a fuel to be worse for the climate than just burning fossil gas itself ?
5. Do you or your party believe that fossil gas is a transition fuel ? Do you/your party understand the difference between a transition fuel and an infrastructure fuel ?
6. Will you/your party commit to changing legislation and policy within the Department for the Economy in regard to gas - specifically as per the legal obligation to promote fossil gas as a fuel ?
7. Are you/your party aware that a 'fracking ban' won't stop TRUK/EHA getting a petroleum licence because they say they won't frack at the initial exploration stage.
8. Are you/your party aware that current policy calls for expedituous exploration for and exploitation of Northern Ireland's oil and gas resources and was developed in the 1960's just as Keeling was making his observations on human caused CO2 emissions warming the atmostsphere ?
You may have noticed its a year since the original Assembly motion was passed. The Hatch report has been available since July. At this point the Hatch report is irrelevant. The IPCC report clearly says we have to leave oil and gas in the ground, The scientific evidence has been there for years, it is political interference and political dallying that has brought us to this point. They say a week is a long time in politics, but I can tell you a year of civil servants and politicians all dancing around one of the greatest issue to face humanity is just a sign of the broken system that is Stormont. #WeDeserveBetter
