Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

In Opposition in recent years I continually referred to concerns that existed about the development of bio-fuels in that it was not the panacea and that it would raise significant environmental and food price issues. I raised that issue on numerous occasions for several years before it started to evolve as a clear problem because we were aware of those sustainability issues. There is, however, a good policy reason for us to try to maintain a fuel supply source separate to the conventional oil supply source, particularly if it is one where we can lower emissions and it can be a second generation bio-fuel and we can benefit from non-food crops. That is a worthy ambition because if we suffered a serious oil shock similar to the 1970s when oil from the Middle East was cut off, it would benefit us to have even a 5% availability of fuel supply that would keep essential machinery running. For that strategic policy reason alone we should develop such a supply but we should be careful that it is not at the expense of the world poor.

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