Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)

I commend Deputy Naughten on introducing this Bill. The issue of global warming is threatening to become the most pressing one internationally in this century but, sadly, the Government has failed to come to grips with it. There is a tendency for the Government to wash its hands of the problem, to leave it to others and to wait on the sidelines until it is embarrassed into doing something about it. All it can see is a growing problem for which there is no solution and it is sticking its head in the sand.

I refer to the Government's latest announcement that bio-fuels will comprise 5.75% of Ireland's transport fuel market by 2009. It has been careful not to make any commitments on reducing overall carbon dioxide emissions.

In addition, I have noted with embarrassment in recent months the gap that has grown between Northern Ireland and the Republic in the provision of grants for tackling global warming through the reduction of carbon emissions. Like charity, reducing carbon emissions should begin at home. In Northern Ireland, there is a grant for householders to install wind turbines but there is none here. There is a grant for householders to install small hydro schemes but there is no such grant here. There is a scheme in Northern Ireland for excess power generated by householders to be sold back into the grid but there is none here. Such schemes would be suitable for many homes in my constituency of Clare where, I assure the Minister, the wind blows a fair number of days in the year.

Even the Government agency charged with administering the few grants that exist admits that only a fraction of green energy resources have been tapped so far. This also applies to bio-fuels. The Government has sat on the bio-fuels issue until it was embarrassed by this Private Members' Bill to take action. Bio-fuel is a win-win issue. There is an opportunity for hard-pressed farmers to grow sugar beet or oil rape seed as crops from which such bio-fuels could be manufactured. With the devastation which occurred following the collapse of the sugar industry, this has been pointed out again and again to the Government yet it has avoided the subject.

When one sees a country such as Brazil, which has made bio-fuels an important home industry, one realises the potential that exists. Bio-fuel blends are also being used in the United States, Canada, China, India, Australia and in many European countries.

I am concerned that the detail of the Government's initiative will not be worked out. Fine Gael believes that such a target can, and will, be exceeded by the car manufacturers adapting their engines so they can take a higher percentage of bio-fuels. In Brazil, for example, more bio-fuel adapted cars were sold last year than petrol-only cars. The Government's initiative is a start but it is important it is done right and is not subject to the sloppiness which is the mark of so much Government policy.

For farmers to switch over to a new cash crop is a daunting project and there is still very little profit in growing such crops. I understand the growing of sugar beet and oil rape seed for bio-fuels is not included in REPS. This needs to be examined carefully. For many Irish farmers, the production of such crops in a properly constructed scheme could prove a turning point for the profitability of farms. In short, just as the Government has adopted the essence of this Fine Gael Bill, I urge it to learn from the energy plan we unveiled last year that we would see Ireland generate one third of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025.

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