Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

It is important that a clear message is sent to the Government that radical and sincere changes are needed, as my colleague, Deputy Eamon Ryan, stated. People are trying to establish businesses such as Ecofuels Limited in Killarney, County Kerry. I received a letter from the owner when I visited Kerry a month ago about his experience of trying to set up a biodiesel business. He states:

I have been working on the project for several years to produce biodiesel from used cooking oil but, as you know, it is not viable without excise relief. I have everything in place — premises, equipment, permits, supply of oil, etc. — but cannot produce any biodiesel for sale because Customs and Excise are insisting on €36.805 cent per litre plus VAT. I have to export my oil where it is used to produce dog food in the UK rather than biodiesel in Ireland. I have received absolutely no assistance from government to date, only a lot of harassment from Customs and Excise. Brian Cowen announced €20 million of excise relief in the December budget but there has been no movement in granting this excise relief to producers. The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources is the Department responsible for administering this relief. Even when they do get around to granting excise relief, I have no guarantee of benefiting from it. The Department are notorious for attaching crazy conditions that might make it impossible for my business to secure excise relief.

That is the reality on the ground. I ask the Minister of State and the Government to closely examine the difference between their rhetoric and delivery because they are not the same. This company can only sell biodiesel as a lubricant, yet it has a full tax clearance certificate and has the capacity to produce 1 million litres. Meanwhile, the waste oil from restaurants is, in many cases, poured into drains causing pollution and logistical problems for local authorities, which are exacerbated by the Government turning a blind eye to a significant resource. The Minister of State should take direct action to ensure companies in a position to roll out the production of alternative fuels, such as pure plant oil and making use of waste products, can do so without being impeded by the Government.

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