The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has met with the Council of Energy Ministers in Brussels to discuss the recently published EU Commission Energy Union Package.

At the Council meeting, Minister Alex White strongly supported the Energy Union Package as a way to strengthen the three pillars of European energy policy – security of supply, competitiveness and sustainability.

The Minister endorsed plans to enhance Europe's energy security, which is particularly important for inadequately connected Member States like Ireland and those reliant on only one supply source. Given our high dependency on imported oil and gas, Ireland is particularly vulnerable to price and supply shocks.

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Minister White said: "It is vital that diversity of routes and sources of energy, and the appropriate infrastructure are put in place to address these challenges. Rollout of Projects of Common Interest, with the support as required from the EU Connecting Europe Facility and the European Fund for Strategic Investments are important elements in overcoming these challenges."

The Minister stressed the need to embrace all renewable technologies, including wind, solar and biomass and to continue the focus on Research and Innovation, particularly, for example, in relation to ocean energy and developing wave and tidal technologies.

(CD/JP)