Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy should put down a question to the relevant Minister on the details of this matter. On energy and waste issues, the cross-departmental team has focused its discussions in recent months on climate change and the overall policy direction to be given to the Environmental Protection Agency in preparing the second national allocation for the emissions trading scheme. The deliberations of the cross-departmental team helped prepare the way for the Government's careful consideration of the necessary balance between environmental protection and the protection of competitiveness. It brought forward recommendations to the EPA in regard to the average allocation of allowances and argued that 10% should be held back by the EPA for new entrants. It also recommended that close attention be paid to the EPA's allocation process for the protection of competitiveness in sectors exposed to global competition, that firms which rationalise are not unduly penalised and that closing installations will be allowed retain up to 75% of their intended allocation for future years. It further advised that the Government should purchase allowances on the international market to ensure we are in possession of sufficient allowances to comply with the Kyoto Protocol.

All these issues have been under discussion by the cross-departmental team for some time. If they were not discussed at the June meeting it is that——

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