Dr. Brian Motherway:

Deputy Griffin asked about biomass heating grants. We have provided a great deal of detailed economic analysis to our parent Department on the financial supports needed in that sector to meet the targets. As stated by the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, the Government is working on a bio-energy strategy, which will deal with the issue of the role of incentives, and is expected to be published shortly.

On Deputy Phelan's final point, it must be remembered that the core point of energy policy is climate change. We must look at everything through that lens. When people put forward the view that certain options are better than others or, they object to particular options, we need to focus on our long term trajectory towards playing our party in climate change. This means getting out of carbon based energy systems. As it happens, this suits Ireland because we have a rich renewable energy resource which is the energy of the future. I take on board the points made but our role in participating in that engagement and debate is realising that change is coming and that we need to find ways to make that change positive in as much as it can be.