Sir, – In times of crisis, political leaders have a duty to clearly explain the gravity of the situation and the measures required to address it. I believe our leaders have fallen short in this regard with the latest energy crisis.
The Irish Times deserves credit for helping to fill that void. Two recent contributions stand out. Sally Rooney offers a clear-eyed vision of how, faced with surging demand and a dwindling and uncertain energy supply, we might as a society distribute our energy resources so that all basic and vital human and economic activity is sustained (“Fragility of global fuel systems strengthens the case for rationing”, Opinion, April 25th). In such a scenario, sectors such as agriculture and haulage would require clear prioritisation.
Olivia O’Leary, meanwhile, mourns the decades-long hollowing-out of town centres as people switch to greenfield sites and a car-dependent way of life (“In the middle of a housing crisis, why are our town centres so empty?”, Opinion, April 24th).
There is a thread connecting both arguments. Transport is by far our largest energy consumer, accounting for 42.3 per cent of total energy use in 2024. This is more than double the residential sector (21.3 per cent), dwarfing industry (17.7 per cent), services (16.4 per cent) and agriculture and forestry (2.1 per cent), according to SEAI figures. Of that transport demand, more than 41 per cent is attributable to the private car alone.
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To future-proof our society, we must restore and consolidate our towns and villages and radically reduce dependence on the private car. Housing development should be limited to existing cities, towns and villages. Land rezoning should be confined to the edges of these existing urban areas, so that the “15-minute city” can become more than an aspiration. We need to confront honestly the risks and consequences of our spatial planning choices in the context of energy demand, energy insecurity as well as our legal climate obligations. Our Revised National Planning Framework must rise to this challenge. – Yours, etc,
CHRIS GARVEY,
Glasnevin,
Dublin 9
