Mr. Brian Murphy:

I expect that Deputy Pringle's question has arisen from what the Taoiseach said the other day about the decision to refer all smoky fuels for review. Wood pellets would have 3% of the particulate emissions if they were burned wet without any of the protection of burning wet firewood. They are 97% better in the sense that they have 97% less particulate emissions. If one puts any sort of half-decent small ESB or electrostatic precipitator onto that equipment, it will bring that figure down to virtually zero. I do not expect wood pellets to be classed in the same breath as a smoky wood fuel. That is because they are dry.