Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for omitting climate from my list. We do not have much of time left for questions. Incidentally, I raised it in the House a couple of times already. One of the most important things about climate is alternative energy, renewable energy, and the speed with which our economy can deliver those.

To my mind - I have done a good lot of work on this over the years - we have not made sufficient provision so far. We make regular efforts through wave and wind energy but they are related. The wind energy will provide renewable energy for two thirds of the requirement in terms of time. One third requires to be provided for elsewhere. There are limited areas there. The problem would appear to be a lack of investment in those areas in the early days. We need investment now. We needed investment four or five years ago but we could not provide it because we had no money four or five years ago, or ten years ago.

We need new investment in offshore wind energy or else we need more onshore energy. Either way, we need to focus on that as a means of providing alternative renewable energy and doing it efficiently and cost-effectively. How are we placed to achieve that, given that we have to do that in the short term? We have only ten years.