Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)

It is timely that we are discussing a Government Green Paper on energy at a time when gardaí are enforcing the will of a multinational company on the people of County Mayo. At the same time as we are debating the implications attached to future fuel supplies and the need to provide alternatives, the Government appears happy to allow the Corrib gas field to be developed with a minimal return to the State in terms of revenue, the price of gas or even supply. In that context, I am curious to discover what the Minister was referring to when he interrupted a request by my colleague, Deputy Ó Caoláin, to adjourn the Dáil under Standing Order 31 last week to say "€2 billion". I hope he was not trying to suggest the State stood to benefit from the Corrib development in these terms. If he was, I am interested in hearing how that might be the case.

On the broader issues related to the Green Paper, we all welcome the commitment to increase the share of renewable energy sources and thereby reduce our dependence on the importing of fossil fuels. As happened in the not too distant past, current oil prices hold us hostage to instability not of our making. However, I was slightly concerned to note that in the reply to my parliamentary question of Tuesday, 3 October regarding the 5.75% target for biofuel penetration by 2010, the Minister replied that to achieve this target, a significant change in land use patterns or a level of imports might be required. I certainly agree with the contention that land use needs to be changed and many of us believe this will be facilitated by the new conditions pertaining under the single farm payment. My concern relates to the reference to imports, given the potential for growing energy crops here. Why would this country not be in a position to grow the necessary feedstock and process it into biofuels? The level and structure of grant aid seem to be factors as to why only several thousand acres are currently in receipt of such aid. However, another key factor is the absence of processing facilities and the apparent absence of any real desire by the State or private enterprise to provide them. I visited County Wexford two weeks ago. I met a planter who told me that the potential amount harvested this year was 6,000 acres. There will be a reduction of 1,500 acres next year, which is very worrying. I was also told that the only way planters could address this reduction was through imported rapeseed.

A good example of the lack of interest on the part of the State and private enterprise in providing processing facilities is the winding down of the sugar sector. With others, I have made the point that the beet grown and the existing plant could be redirected towards the production of bioethanol. However, Greencore seems to have no intention of pursuing any productive enterprise and is intent on stripping the former Sugar Company of its assets and using the former factory sites for property development. One might have thought that the Government might have attempted to persuade Greencore that this was not the best use to make of former public property but this did not happen. It seems it is also content to see apartments built and large profits made where once hundreds of people were employed and thousands of tonnes of sugar were produced. What happened to the golden share to protect the workers and growers?

If the State does not take greater steps to promote growing and processing energy crops, we will replace our dependency on fossil fuel imports with a new dependency on imported biofuels, which is extremely concerning. While there is little we can do about the former, it would be an utter disgrace if a country such as Ireland found itself in the latter position.

The target of 15% for renewables by 2010 and 30% by 2020 is laudable and I commend it. However, I am not satisfied the Government's current practice matches its vision. I see no evidence that what is being done will allow us to reach the point envisaged by the targets being set. For that to take place we must mobilise our land, forestry, wind and hydropower resources and ensure that in replacing our dependence on imported oil and gas we build a solid basis of indigenously supplied and processed energy sources.

See this speech in context