Mr. James Cogan:

As regards Deputy Bríd Smith's question on biofuels, this meeting is to address meeting the targets for 2020. The targets for renewable energy and transport for 2020 are 10%, while Ireland is currently just over 5%. That number diminishes because some of it is double counting, so it is notional rather than real progress. Ireland is one of the least ambitious countries in Europe in terms of meeting the target. In terms of targets for 2030 because 2020 is around the corner and we seek continuity and growth in ambition, the European Council is currently proposing legislation for 2030 which would cut the 10% down to 3.5% in real terms. Nominally, it is 14% but half of that is optional - optional directives are curious to consider - and the remaining 7% is double counted, with half being notional, so in real terms it is 3.5%. That shows that there is a cohort of countries, including Ireland, in Europe which advocates a much reduced obligatory ambition for renewables and climate progress in transport. This begs the question of whether Ireland is prepared to be ambitious on its own even though the European Union has reduced its level of ambition or if it will stay within the maximum obligation that Europe imposes. I hope that gives members some context of where we are going.

As regards Deputy Smith's question on whether or not biofuels have created food security issues around the world and, specifically, in Europe, it is a very legitimate question which has been debated up and down the street over the past ten years in Europe. Not a single drop of biofuel imported into the European Union comes from a region or area that presents concerns such as those raised by the Deputy. I am more than happy to meet her and go through that in detail. Most biofuel used in Europe is biomass produced by European farmers. European farmers are a superpower in terms of their ability to produce such crops and forms of biomass. The volumes required to make progress in climate progress and transport are tiny compared with the capacity of European farmers, with the notable exception of palm oil diesel, which is a rotten apple that all biofuels and bioenergy producers should be keeping out of the barrel. Unfortunately, it is not firmly out of the barrel.