Mr. Tim Cullinan:

Some excellent points have been made. As far as consultation is concerned, we have had a lot of it. We can sign off on agreements next week or the week after, but what is more important is the continuation of engagement. That is what I have heard. This is a major project involving farmers and their livelihoods. They have to be protected. We are not going to do this overnight. This is an ongoing process.

Flooding was mentioned.

What Bord na Móna is proposing to achieve here is that there must be growth on the bog, where the peat has been taken out now for years. What we have at the moment is that carbon is being emitted; it is coming up out of the bog into the atmosphere. What it is doing is creating a seal and creating growth in order that the carbon will be sequestered in. It becomes an excellent carbon sink. We all acknowledge where we are. Deputy Carthy made the valid point that a lot of taxpayers' money is being invested here. We must ensure that when this work is completed, this project stays within the State and this carbon is used to offset the carbon within our own country. Where this carbon will be going is something we have to look at in the forestry area as well because we, as farmers, are being blamed. Therefore, it is very important, going forward, that we take account of that carbon and obviously the taxpayers' money being spent here.

Deputy Nolan made valid points about the flooding, draw and particularly lands and farmlands. I was in County Offaly last year and we saw the effects of flooding from the Shannon. Part of that would have been because of some of the processes in Bord na Móna, where there has been silting in the bed of the Shannon as well, and that has created problems in its own right. I see this as an ongoing engagement. We all know that Bord na Móna will be ceasing the production of peat, briquettes and turf completely but it is in the renewable energy business as well. We want to see the renewable energy industry develop further. Perhaps there has not been huge engagement with farmers on wind turbines. In this project we must get more direct engagement with farmers to develop projects around increasing farmers' income. That is where we must go with this. Deputy Nolan also mentioned forestry. I do not think we are going to waste time on it this evening but it is another issue that is in chaos at present. We want to see the Minister coming out. I know a report came out last week but we have looked at report after report and we want to see progress there as well.