Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

Will the Taoiseach revert to his reply concerning the issue of infrastructural PPPs at the interdepartmental committee? On 9 November, he said he would deal with wider energy policy issues, but does he agree that these matters are not treated seriously by the budget provisions, which seem to be sending money out of the country by way of a carbon fund? In light of that, will the Government become more seriously involved in implementing the EU energy performance of buildings directive through the interdepartmental committee? Will action on this directive be extended, given that we have a derogation of three years during which to implement it? Will the Taoiseach improve on that? Has the interdepartmental committee taken into account the reasons, which the Taoiseach mentioned, for a lack of technical ability in implementing the directive? How is the Government responding to that?

As regards sending money out of the country, will the Taoiseach state what criteria are being used to award PPP contracts? I have been asked this question a number of times. Is there a need to re-examine and refine the criteria applied to PPPs, given the vast reliance on them? Some €27 million is to be spent on 17 PPP projects, including in the education sector, the arts, the National Concert Hall and the Abbey Theatre. One quarter of funding for the ten-year €34 billion national transport strategy is to be undertaken through PPPs.

I understand that Halliburton is doing the €372 million Shannon tunnel project, which is the largest infrastructural scheme outside Dublin. Will the Taoiseach clarify if that project warrants criteria concerning past performance, given the amount of overcharging that company has had to contend with? There are also ethical issues surrounding the company's involvement in Iraq.

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