Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

I may be mistaken in how I have added up the numbers but it appears this money is not for a new scheme but for outstanding debts that must be paid. The Minister said in his press release that there would be a Supplementary Estimate but this is merely a token Supplementary Estimate. There is a considerable difference because a real Supplementary Estimate sees additional funding for a Department to fund, in this case, an important environmental measure.

The greener homes scheme ran out of money simply because of the incompetence of the Government — the initial allocation was too small and now it is time to catch up. Unfortunately, the Government now proposes to remove vital funds from essential infrastructural development in telecommunications to shore up Sustainable Energy Ireland to allow it to deliver on its current commitments. The Government is very good at forcing other people to stay within budget. The Minister for Health and Children puts the squeeze on the HSE to stay within budget, a staffing freeze results and, despite her promises, patients pay the price. However, when the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Eamon Ryan, needs a fig leaf to cover his failure to tackle a funding shortfall he is allowed raid an essential infrastructure programme with impunity.

The briefing note we received pointed out that it would be proposed that €10 million be diverted from the technology and communications budget and €6.2 million from the energy research budget. Both of these areas are essential. In terms of Ireland's capability to keep up, they are essential economically, socially and environmentally. However, both budgets are being raided to get the Minister out of a hole. It is not as if the Government is not aware of the problem, just as the previous Government was aware of it.

The overall budget sought by SEI was €42.95 million for 2007. At the time it was on a very small budget, which had been increased, partly by removing funding from other areas of the energy budget. Since SEI looked for this funding coming into 2007, an important event, a general election, took place and all during the summer negotiations took place between Fianna Fáil and the Green Party. Any reasonable person would expect, therefore, that a simple obvious environmental issue such as the shortfall for the greener homes scheme would have been addressed during those negotiations, but it was not.

When I wrote my notes for this debate, I did not realise this change impacted on so many schemes, not just the greener homes scheme. All the schemes have seen a shortfall. A party going into Government should have dealt with the issue, but it did not. Either through naivety or blind ambition on the part of the Green Party, nothing was done. That is the reason we are debating the issue now.

The new Minister presided over the collapse of the scheme which was to have lasted five years and then promised in his press release to introduce a penny-pinching version of the scheme. He did not, of course, mention the fact he intended to raid the communications area to do this. More importantly, he did not indicate that he was raiding the communications sector, not for the new scheme, but to pay for the old one.

The Minister can advise me if I am wrong, but it is clear there is no money for ring-fencing of the new scheme. This Supplementary Estimate is not for new projects, but to pay for projects to which we are already committed. If I am wrong, will the Minister tell me how many of the 8,000 applicants who have not yet been given their money under the old scheme will get it under the new scheme. In addition, how many people will get funding from this Supplementary Estimate under the new scheme?

Yesterday I attended an IBEC conference on next generation networks addressed by the Minister. It is hypocrisy on the part of the Minister to address that conference and call for significant investment for next generation broadband, and come into the House today and deplete the funding already allocated for telecommunications technology. He seems to have developed a see no evil approach on the issue of this generation broadband roll-out, as apart from any future generation broadband. He gives out the statistics, but there are still major shortcomings in terms of access and take-up of broadband.

I got a message from an Eircom customer the other day who said it is an utter disgrace in this wonderful little country of ours, with its so-called booming economy, that every household in the country cannot receive broadband. The customer had been speaking to Eircom, but was disappointed with the response. One would expect that the company that provides the services would be able to come up with a better answer than, "I don't know why it doesn't work". This anecdote demonstrates there is still considerable frustration on the part of customers and we still have major blackspots. The fact the Minister intends removing funding from that area of his responsibility raises questions about his overall approach to the management of his Department. Despite the fact there has been some catch up, we are not performing well on broadband. There is no room for complacency and definitely no room for money to be withdrawn.

The message at the conference yesterday was very clear. We need sustained public and private investment and certainty on the issue. People involved in the industry who are coping with technological and sometimes bewildering change want certainty on broadband. It is not just about industry but also about education, health care and community development. All of these areas are dependent on broadband and other forms of advancing communications technology. We want certainty, but instead we are getting a change, with €10 million to be removed from a particular budget overnight. This money is not going for a new scheme, but to pay bills that have been run up in what seems a profligate manner, despite the fact it appears to be going to good causes.

I have concerns about cutting back the energy research budget. It may be painful for the Minister to hear this, but when speaking as a Member of the Opposition on the Estimates last year he expressed concern at the small scale of the budget allocation. If we do not have energy research, we will not be able to meet the very ambitious commitments we have made both internationally and in the Government programme. We need ongoing research in terms of renewables and energy. We do not need this type of incompetence and I am extremely concerned about it. We must ensure that bills are paid, but this is not the way to do it.

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