Mr. P.J. McCarthy:

I will go through some fundamentals on best scientific advice. At the time those studies were carried out they applied and were worked to the first renewable energy directive. We moved on from that and the second renewable energy directive clearly sets out the best scientific advice and best technology available. We have moved on from a lot of that data and information. With regard to the availability of slurry, the competent body to advise farmers is Teagasc and it clearly states the availability of slurry is there. We have spent the significant sum of €1.54 billion over the past ten years on slurry storage. This is to cater for the environmental requirements of slurry storage. Slurry is available. The figures are there and Teagasc has them. I would not expect the SEAI to have those figures specifically.

With regard to ammonia and fertilisers, one of the fundamental issues and concerns we had about the assumptions made by SEAI in its study is that while we engaged with the SEAI comprehensively on that particular piece of work, and there were some decent inputs into it from industry and the producers, from a cost perspective the feedstock is there and is available and we are not interfering with any other feedstocks.