Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

The Taoiseach has answered questions I did not ask. We know about the Kyoto Protocol and his statements on that matter. He has repeated them often enough but we still have to see the evidence of compliance. My question was about the price of oil and this country's dependency on that particular resource. The Taoiseach said that the rise in price was a fact, but that is hardly news.

The question I asked was how that will be dealt with by the Government. Will it simply be accepted as tough luck and that the economy can effectively consume oil to the point of going into recession or is there any clear commitment by the Government about which the Taoiseach can inform us which would, for example in the case of Germany and Denmark, involve much more ambitious targets for renewable energy such as wind, biomass and wave power? Is it not unacceptable that renewables contribute about 1.8% of total energy requirement in Ireland in 2002 whereas Germany and Denmark are dealing with factors of 20% and continue to strive much higher?

Is the Taoiseach not ashamed that this country has such a resource and that it could be much less dependent on oil and much more successful in staving off the large fines that are bound to kick in between emissions trading and the Kyoto Protocol? Will he give any indication as to whether he will reduce VAT on solar power in regard to roof space, for example, given that we are building approximately 70,000 houses per annum without any incentive to make use of that roof space? Is there anything tangible the Government can say to reduce our dependency on oil?

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