John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

The traditional incandescent light bulb is extremely wasteful of both energy and money. Modern compact fluorescent lamps, CFLs, use 20% of the energy and last up to ten times longer. This means the consumer saves significantly, over the long run, on both energy bills and replacement costs, while the reduced electricity usage translates into lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Ireland is one of the first countries to bring forward an energy efficiency standard for light bulbs. Similar proposals are being developed elsewhere and the European Commission has announced plans for an EU-wide initiative over the coming years. There is a widespread acceptance of the need to address the issue of energy efficient lighting, given that electricity generation is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Ireland's energy efficiency standard will contribute to our compliance with the Kyoto Protocol and the more ambitious targets that lie beyond the protocol.

While CFLs offer the greatest savings in both energy use and cost, they are not the only option that will meet the proposed standard. In recent years, a further alternative has emerged, with the development of halogen incandescent bulbs. While these are not as efficient as CFLs, they are more efficient than the traditional incandescent and can also substitute directly for the traditional bulb in some fittings that are not suited to CFLs. They do not appear to give rise to any medical issues, and would therefore provide an alternative for anyone who finds CFLs to be unsuitable.

My Department's recent public consultation document on the proposed standard provided an opportunity for interested parties to identify issues of concern, and the responses will be taken into account in implementing the standard. The paper referred to the fact that some people have expressed concerns about CFLs on medical grounds, but noted also that halogen bulbs would seem to provide a solution in such cases.

In so far as disposal is concerned, all CFLs are covered by the WEEE directive and will therefore be accepted without charge by civic amenity sites or by any outlet that sells them.

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