Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)

I refer to the use of green diesel in this jurisdiction and to the harm caused by the use of washed diesel in lorries. I spoke recently to a lorry driver who drives occasionally who told me that 12 months ago it cost €300 to fill his lorry and now it costs €400. Somebody has to pay for this. A number of such hauliers are locked into contracts and they do not have the opportunity available to operators in the airline business of adding a surcharge and making the passenger pay.

I am sure the Minister would agree that the industry is already laundering and washing diesel. People are offering their products to hauliers and because the margins are so tight in the industry, at times people are tempted. In effect, they cannot compete with what is out there.

I am sure the Minister would also accept the problems this creates for local authorities, such as my local county council in the Border area of Monaghan, which has been left with a bill for hundreds of thousands of euro to mop up the sulphuric acid that is used in the diesel laundering process, in addition to large quantities of cat litter that is also involved. I believe it was necessary to dispose of 250 tonnes of cat litter. A black cat may have kittens but I do not know where the litter is coming from. The clean up after this illegal activity is a major issue of concern. This is an accident waiting to happen. The environmental consequences are serious because if a water supply is affected it could result in a major catastrophe.

Almost 90% of freight is moved by road rather than rail as we do not have that facility. I urge the Minister to consider this issue. The haulage industry held talks with the Minister for Finance some years ago. At that time the industry sought a rebate of 12 cent per litre. The indicators looked good at the time but the Department failed to deliver. If the Minister is averse to the extension of the use of green diesel I invite him to consider three other options to take the gangsters out of the system, namely, that everybody would be allowed to use white diesel and a full rebate would be given to all those entitled to it, including licensed hauliers; the use of a separate colour for diesel used by the licensed sector; or the setting up of a fund for the purchase and storage of diesel which could then be passed on to industry members. Much damage is done by speculators in terms of price.

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