Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have a question too, after which you can answer all of the questions. We have another 20 minutes, which is not bad. Regarding CO2 and our carbon emissions, there is one coal burning station in Ireland at Moneypoint. That is the main problem we have with CO2 emissions at present and we must decide what we can do about it.

To take up Deputy Mitchell's point about the per capitaCO₂emissions, in China it is 3.8 as opposed to Ireland's 10.5. However, China is building coal burning power stations at a rate of one almost every three weeks at present. Where do big countries that are being heavily industrialised and polluted fit into the equation? This applies to India as well. Coal is the cheapest form of energy at present but it has most CO₂emissions. There is an abundant supply of coal throughout the world and there are enough supplies for another 150 years. Have we examined taking the CO₂out of coal? That would go a long way in helping us to reach our targets.