Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I congratulate Deputy Naughten on introducing the Bill, which makes great sense on four or five different fronts. We are not discussing anything that has not been mentioned in the House on several occasions during the past two years. The problem previously was that the Government was not listening. Some of the efforts it has made, however welcome, are not good enough to tilt the balance to encourage people to do what they should do in so far as the environment is concerned.

If this debate was taking place in the context of a barrel of oil being priced at $90, people's reaction would be amazing. If it were taking place in the context that there would never be a shortage of diesel or petrol, it would be difficult to encourage people to speak about the most important aspect of this matter, namely, a cleaner environment. This comes down to people's psychological make-up.

As Deputy Olivia Mitchell stated and in so far as the transport element is concerned, recent figures from the car manufacturers show that by 2018 or 2019 the number of cars on our roads will have doubled. Imagine the queues with which we will be faced unless there is a huge sea change in our attitudes in respect of all the actions that must be taken.

I wish to comment upon a matter in respect of which the Government has been lacking and to which the Minister has referred on several occasions in the context of the various incentives that have been introduced to encourage people to grow alternative crops. It does not make a goddamn bit of difference what one gives them if members of the farming community have, for very good reasons, decided not to catch on. The reason they have not caught on is that they do not believe the Government has thought matters through and because they are of the view that when the crops have been grown, there will be no one to whom they can be sold.

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