Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

Grants are rarely the issue. Rather, it is the selling and marketing of the idea that is important.

On the consumption side, we must continue to do more to reduce our dependence on natural fossil fuels. The Government is doing much in the competition sector but it needs to do more in the consumption area and needs to encourage, by subsidy or otherwise, the use and production of alternative fuels. Progress has been made in the past two years. Everybody from George Bush up, or down, depending on one's point of view, is proposing all sorts of plans to exploit renewables. More research should be carried out in this area. From my limited knowledge in this regard, I am not convinced, for example, that sugar beet can be exploited as a major provider of energy — I understand Fine Gael proposes this in its energy policy document.

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