Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Will the Minister elaborate on his thoughts on the willow programme? What of his engagement with the Department of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys? A White Paper on renewable energy has been produced. A part of the problem for willow growers is finding a market for their product. In Northern Ireland and Britain, a renewable heat incentive was introduced for the use of willow and other products. In their experience, rewarding those who used the product seemed to be a more successful way of creating a market than giving capital grants for the installation of appropriate boilers. A number of willow growers are struggling to find markets because of the lack of businesses and domestic users that have suitable boilers. Will the Minister elaborate on this issue? While we need to promote this work, it is essential that we view it in the round so as to ensure that there is a market once the product is produced.