Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

While the Minister of State is relieved energy prices have reduced a little, I hope he is not taking that as a trend because, unfortunately, that will not continue. The overall pattern is an increase in energy prices.

Has the Minister of State evaluated, for example, the comments of Cadburys, a major player in the dairy industry, which cited energy costs as a central factor in the decision to close plants and cut jobs in Coolock and Tallaght, County Dublin, and Rathmore, County Kerry? Does that point to the need for the Department to contribute more directly in the formulation of energy policy in, for example, encouraging farmers to become more involved in microgeneration, net metering to harness wind and anaerobic digestion projects? There were worries about contamination regarding anaerobic digestion but I hope those have passed. Have the impediments to the development of anaerobic digestion been removed entirely?

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment published a report on the food and beverage sector, which stated it accounted for 8% of exports. Is the Department of Agriculture and Food contributing to such reports to ensure energy costs are a significant factor in seeking alternatives to the high energy system developed by the State to improve energy efficiency and the availability of renewables? Will the Department have to push for a later target than 2020 because we must look beyond fossil fuel dependency? The farming sector offers huge potential to meet the energy needs of the State, if embraced wholeheartedly.

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