Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

I welcome the forthcoming legislation. It is common sense in terms of the percentage determined. However, I am sure the Minister is aware there has been quite harsh criticism from the indigenous and developing bio-fuels industry that it is simply being left up to the market to determine how this will develop. Will he accept that if he pursues the current policy, if it can be called a policy, we are in danger of simply replacing one imported fuel with another one?

Has the Minister a strategy to develop the indigenous enterprises in a coherent way? I have no doubt the Minister, as is his wont, will make very flowery speeches about the bio-fuels sector as he does about the wind sector and other renewable sectors which are very often still stuck and underdeveloped because of a lack of a strategic approach by the Government. I have several questions on the indigenous bio-fuels sector and sustainability. How does the Minister intend to ensure Ireland exceeds the 30% target? How does he propose to ensure rigorous sustainability criteria are applied to imported bio-fuels? How will sustainability be tracked to create confidence that Ireland is not part of the problem in the developing world, particularly with regard to the effects of bio-fuel production on agriculture?

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