Joe Callanan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I am grateful for the opportunity to address the House on what will be one of the major political issues of the next ten years. Since the introduction of the greener homes grant by the Government, I have been surprised at the level of interest among the public for alternative energy heating sources. The current oil price has certainly alerted most of the public to the critical need to lower our reliance on fossil-based energy sources such as oil and gas. All politics is local and on Monday night I spoke to the Mountbellew active retirement group and explained the grants that were available — the geothermal heating systems, wood-pellet burners and stoves and the solar panels. More than half the group had requested application forms. Elderly people are most in need of assistance as they spend relatively large amounts on home heating oil.

As a farmer I have lived my life actively aware of the need to protect the environment. Many urban dwellers may be somewhat sceptical as regards a farmer claiming to care about sustaining the environment. Without sustaining the environment, however, farming cannot survive. The future of rural Ireland lies in the willingness of the people striving to make farming profitable to embrace new trends. The explosion of organic foods and the regeneration of farmers' markets all indicate a trend towards the return of farming allied to the opportunities for renewable energy crops in the tillage area. I compliment Teagasc on the great work it is doing in this area.

A campaign is under way in south Galway to lobby for a resource recovery park similar to those that already are to be found in Australia and Canada. I have been impressed by the arguments in this regard and the ability of such initiatives to create employment, while helping to recover waste from what, too often in the past, could not be reconditioned or recycled. I hope my ministerial colleagues in the area of environmental and natural resources and Galway County Council will give the group all the assistance it needs to bring the project to fruition as the town of Gort is in need of new employment opportunities. The west of Ireland, too, is in need of innovation as regards waste management.

I raised the issue of refineries for renewable energy crops in the media last week, based on the towns that once had sugar beet factories. In particular, I hope the western refinery will be based in Tuam. I thank the Acting Chairman for allowing me to speak and I compliment the Government on the great work it is doing.

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