Mr. Stuart Conaty:

Bord na Móna, like every other organisation, has to respond to its customers and, as a commercial semi-State company, has to work according to Government policy. Unfortunately, the decarbonisation policy change, from both Europe and our own Government, is something markets have been forced to react to and that has an effect on Bord na Móna as a commercial semi-State business. We are very conscious of our mandate, to the midlands in particular, and to sustainable jobs and we are making progress with alternatives, such as with our trial aquaculture programme as well as the trial of the utilisation of cutaway bogs for the production of herbs. We will work very hard to provide the new crust of bread for the people of the midlands over the course of the next decade. The transition will take place over time and we will work in that period to find the alternatives to which I referred.