Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Cabinet sub-committee provides the co-ordinating mechanism for all the Departments that have an interest or contribution to make in this area to meet and try to bring together a coherent policy position. As Deputy Barrett said, this is a complex and challenging area in which the Government is very closely involved with the Commission in view of the recent documentation and objectives it outlined in recent months. That is continuing and we are looking at options within and between Departments to continue that work and see how Ireland can try to meet very significant challenges, as Deputy Barrett said.

The emissions trading scheme is part of the Kyoto arrangements and the need to see how that can contribute is a very legitimate part of any country's efforts to meet the obligations and requirements imposed on it. In the two or three meetings the sub-committee has had since I became Taoiseach there has been a very significant drive regarding working across Departments to meet the requirements we are discussing at European Commission level. We must try to accommodate what is being asked of us and marry it with continuing economic growth and progress. These are big issues and I have taken specific advice in my Department on it.

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