Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I can reaffirm there are the close contacts and co-operation on LNG. We have to be careful to ensure we have diverse sources of supply. When one considers the crisis in Ukraine, depending on a single source for supply is not encouraging in terms of energy security and, therefore, it is important to develop indigenous resources, including renewables. LNG will also become an important aspect of ensuring future security of supply. Apart from what it would do for the region that Deputy O'Donovan represents in terms of employment, it is an important policy objective.

As regards its having gone on too long, I find it hard to make up my mind on that issue in the sense that global developments in energy affect major investment projects. Investment in energy projects is so massive by comparison to the more normal investment in this economy that there is a longer timeline between conception and execution than in any other area I know of, and there is nothing unusual about a major investment taking ten to 15 years in energy internationally. Therefore, I would have thought that the step-down in economic activity here, to which the Chairman drew attention at the outset, and the changes that have taken place in the global marketplace, where, for example, the United States is now exporting coal, are developments that were not foreseen. I believe they do affect the pace of decision making in other areas. I hope the energy project will be realised for a whole variety of reasons.

I do not know if it is fair to say that what has happened in north Mayo is typical of Irish attitudes to industrialisation or anything like that. I do not think it is. I do not deny that what has happened at Corrib has been communicated around the world, as that is certainly true. Mistakes were made, of that there is no doubt. If one goes back far enough, to the period of switchover from Enterprise Oil to the present ownership arrangement, the mistakes were not all on one side either. We have been trying to address these issues going into the future. I honestly cannot recall whether an expansive piece of legislation to do with foreshore licensing, permits and all the rest has actually been published. It certainly has been brought to Government on more than one occasion at its various stages by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. It is a major piece of legislation, which is very far advanced, although it has not been published yet. It will provide more clarity in the future in this particular area. I have had some input into it, given our concern in this area.

The miscanthus episode was not a happy one, which I entirely accept. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Fergus O'Dowd, will within the next two or three weeks publish a major policy statement on bioenergy. I hope it will pick up on some of the points and disconnects the Deputy has raised.

There has been discussion for some time now about the synergies that might obtain between aspects of two different State companies, Bord na Móna and Coillte. I believe that process is also coming to an end in the sense that there are some overlapping areas and there are undoubtedly synergies. The question has been mooted as to whether one could create a bioenergy company by merging the two companies. There are also strong views that both companies should concentrate on their core business and, where there are synergies, that issue should be addressed. Those discussions are about to come to an end. I imagine a Government statement will be made on that in the very near future.