Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I agree with the Deputy about the potential benefits in this area. We have a fundamental problem regarding energy in that we will never get anything as good as petrol. I saw an analysis recently which showed the return on energy investment. For exploration petroleum which is extracted and processed, there is a return of 20 units of energy for every single unit of energy put in. The difficulty we have with biofuels and other new replacement technologies is that the energy return can be of the order of one or two to one. For every unit of energy put in, one might only get one unit of energy back. The real potential from second generation biofuels is the technology which allows that leap forward. Biodynamic biological processes are being used to get a greater return.

There is a close connection between the Irish Marine Institute and our Department in this area, and with Science Foundation Ireland. Many of the research projects our Department set up in the Beaufort and geoscience area were targeted at this issue. Many of the marine projects now come under the remit of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, but there is still a significant connection, in tandem with a strong working group. Our renewable energy development group met for the first time three weeks ago and it includes representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Irish Marine Institute as well as our own Department officials — recognising that the initiative must be interdepartmental.

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