Mr. Seamus Boland:

The Deputy raises a valid point but, as I said, to do that kind of work would require a more expansive and extensive report. What I was at pains to point out is that the Department and the Government were looking for a much quicker reality and solution. I can surmise, and I know something about the situation in Europe. We have stronger planning laws. We also have stronger environmental laws. The hard peat decision also came into the middle of this. I say this cautiously, but certainly some parts of eastern Europe do not have the kind of stringent planning that we have because of environmental concerns. I offer that as an explanation to Deputy Carthy, but not a conclusive one. We did not have the time to expand on the realities in Europe.