Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the participants for their thoughtful presentations. I have been a supporter of anaerobic digestion for a long time and have wondered aloud on many occasions why we in Ireland have not advanced more quickly, considering the very positive benefits from anaerobic digestion. The reality is that other countries have been way ahead of us. That gives us an opportunity. Our weakness is probably our strength at this stage, the weakness being the fact that we are not really on the radar and the strength being that technologies have advanced. I think all the witnesses have identified new and emerging technologies in this area. From the committee's perspective, they are giving us a lot of information. I do not think there is any diversity of views, but the witnesses are representing different areas. Maybe they need to come closer together with a pitch, but that is for themselves. The response will have to come from the Government and from the Oireachtas to some extent.

I will throw out a couple of questions to whomever wants to take the ball. In the witnesses' considered opinion, who do they think is doing this really well? What country is doing it better than any other? It may be that some countries are doing some elements of it better than others. If so, maybe the witnesses will share that with us.

As for the response from the Government, I am taken particularly by what Mr. Finan said. It is often a problem with issues like this. There is a reason this has not happened. I do not wish to speak critically of the Government at all, but Departments tend to concentrate on what they have to do and nothing else because they will be rewarded for what they have achieved and criticised for what they have not achieved, unlike politicians, who will be criticised anyway for everything, regardless of whether it falls within their remit. Perhaps there is a message for us in whatever response we give to the Government. It may be that a certain Department takes a lead role and absolute responsibility for this area because of its importance and benefit to all and because of the diversity of where the actions need to happen. I suspect that would be the Department with responsibility for climate change because it has so many tentacles, and many Departments now have climate change officers with responsibility in that regard.