On September 23 last year, then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar travelled to New York for a UN climate change summit. There, he told delegates – and the hydrocarbon extraction industry listening back home – that new oil drilling had come to an end in Ireland. He said: “In the last week, on foot of a request from me, our independent Climate Change Advisory Council recommended that exploration for oil should end, as it is incompatible with a low-carbon future. They recommended that exploration for natural gas should continue for now, as a transition fuel that we will need for decades to…

Join The Currency

INTRODUCTORY OFFER: Full annual membership for just €200.

Don’t miss out on what is going on with our daily unique stories from our team of skilled journalists and insightful commentators.

Members of The Currency get full access to over 4,000 exclusive interviews, investigations, and analysis, plus over 460 podcasts.

Annual membership is just €200 for the first year, a saving of €100.

Or try The Currency for the first month for a special introductory rate of €5, a saving of €20.

Cancel at any time.

To become a member today click here.