P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

I am amazed at the Minister of State's reply. The question asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of hectares planted in the production of bio-fuels in each of the past six years, the breakdown of the crops planted and the number of hectares of each that he expects to be planted in 2009. In response to a similar question on 20 May 2008, the Minister provided a table of the number of hectares planted with crops for bio-energy purposes for each of the last six years. It was as follows: 2003, 137 hectares; 2004, 732; 2005, 2,590; 2006, 4,456.

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