The vast bulk of our oil and gas, over 90%, is imported, making us highly dependent on gas supply from other countries. Ireland, like all developed countries, uses large amounts of energy. We use it to heat our homes, drive our transport and suppliy our electricity. It is essential to our economy and our daily lives. Last year Ireland spent over €6bn on imported energy. This leaves us exceptionally vulnerable to international factors that could threaten our security of energy supply.

In 1981 the world started using more oil than it found, and in 2005 for every one barrel of oil found we consume five and as every beer-drinker knows, the glass starts full and ends empty. The quicker he drinks it, the sooner the glass will be empty, and every bar has a closing time.

We all got an taste of our vulnerability to oil shocks last July, when prices approached $150 a barrel. Becoming more energy-efficient with energy will become more and more than norm as we begins to understand the need to use less energy.