Sir, – I am very concerned at the reported sale of Bord Gáis Energy to a foreign company, namely the UK company Centrica (Home News, December 13th). This seems to have been done with unseemly haste and certainly with some prompting from Europe, but equally not part of a considered, published and agreed strategic plan for the future of this country's energy policy.
Ceding control of a strategic energy asset outside the State’s control should be the subject of extreme concern to all of us and perhaps be the subject of a referendum.
It is a vital issue that affects every citizen of this country and all are entitled to a say in the outcome. We don’t have a coherent energy policy published and agreed despite ample opportunity over the past 10 years.
We are uniquely positioned to be leading supplier of renewable energy to ourselves and the rest of Europe, but somehow we always manage to allow political expediency and ineptitude to get in the way.
I challenge this Government to tell me, my children and their children what our energy policy for the future is once and for all, so that I and they can have some confidence in a thriving eco-friendly environment and economy. – Yours, etc,
DEREK Mac HUGH,
Westminster Lawns,
Foxrock, Dublin 18.