Public supports radical measures to tackle energy crisis, survey finds

Almost 90 per cent of people want stringent financial penalties for companies profiting from the energy crises, new environmental research has found.

The Ireland Thinks opinion poll of 1,211 people, commissioned by Friends of the Earth, indicates strong public support for environmental measures targeted at polluters and high energy users.

The poll, conducted earlier this month ahead of Monday’s National Economic Dialogue in Dublin Castle, found 88 per cent of people support a windfall tax on companies that have made larger profits due to energy prices, with 61 per cent strongly supportive, and just 9 per cent against the idea.

A majority, 57 per cent, supported an “indefinite pause of the connection of new data centres to the electricity grid” with 26 per cent against, with the remainder in the “don’t know” category.

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An overwhelming number, 86 per cent, supported having free school buses for all children who live more than 3km away from school, with 80 per cent of people supporting the allocation of road space to make it safer for children to cycle and walk to school from less than 3km away.

In relation to future energy production, 83 per cent favoured prioritising development of infrastructure for hydrogen from wind energy compared to only 9 per cent who favoured developing infrastructure to import liquified natural gas (LNG). Some 93 per cent supported every school in Ireland having solar panels within five years.

There was also strong support for helping the less well-off to benefit from energy-saving measures, with 85 per cent of people endorsing the focusing of Government grants and support for home insulation and heat pumps on low-income households / those most at risk of energy poverty.

Friends of the Earth commissioned the poll to test public support for recommendations in its plan for the Government to cut bills, save energy and reduce pollution.

“It’s clear the public want radical Government action to reduce our need for fossil fuel energy. That will lower costs and pollution,” Friends of the Earth chief executive Oisín Coghlan said. “But it needs decisive leadership to say no to big corporate lobbyists pushing data centres and LNG, and to tax windfall profits. That is what the public wants.”

It was interesting to note, he said, that a large majority would rather Government supports for retrofitting be more targeted at those at risk of energy poverty. “Friends of the Earth has been calling for the SEAI [Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland] to sit down with the likes of the SVP and Age Action to discuss how to reach out to people most at risk before next winter,” he said.

“We have to go door-to-door with wrap-around services rather than leaving the schemes on a first-come, first-served basis, which sees those most able rather than those most in need reap the benefits.”

He said he hoped the poll gives politicians the courage to “get on with positive measures even when a noisy minority oppose them, like taking road space from cars to create safe routes for children to cycle and walk to school.”