Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I appreciate that very much. We have had various experiments and pilot schemes with regard to the production of alternative fuel products and crops. People embarked favourably on such schemes. They invested heavily in various crop projects. The sowing in the spring was one thing, but their confidence had gone by the time of the harvest. They had to burn and scorch the ground of what they had intended as an enhancement to their income.

Many Deputies who have spoken on this Bill have referred to alternative ways of using our land. That would be very welcome because over the last three years there has been a substantial decline in areas of agriculture like cereal production, crop production and dairying. I refer to activities on which farmers depend for their livelihoods. They are getting fed up. Over the last two years, the climate has had a major effect on them. Cereal and other crops have been lost as a result of frost, etc. The Minister and his Government colleagues cannot do anything about that, although it is possible that a reduction in carbon emissions would bring our climate back into a more stable situation.

If we are to ask farmers to adopt alternative land uses - to encourage individuals to make a significant investment in the production of these crops - there will have to be an absolute guarantee of a market for such produce at the end of the day. Individual farmers will not be able to go through the entire production process without some sort of guarantee. The agriculture industry currently benefits from various EU crop production guarantees and support mechanisms. We had beef mountains and wine lakes, etc., in the past when products were produced excessively in the EEC. If the bio-fuel sector is to be introduced into this country, why can we not divert some of the existing EU support mechanisms into that sector? I ask the Minister to investigate the possibility of such a transfer to assist those who intend to move from traditional crops to crops in this area. It would be important. It is obvious that the move to a new blend of bio-fuels - I refer primarily to auto diesel, etc. - will necessitate additional expenditure by those involved. Will there be some sort of recognition of the costs which are entailed in adjusting engines and degrees of horse power to facilitate to the greater use of bio-fuels in the transport sector?

We have been told that 98% of fuels used in Irish transport are imported. We can reduce that figure because we have an alternative. That is why I cannot understand the focus on one aspect of this issue. As I see it, the bureaucracy in this Bill, as presented, will make it difficult for it to be implemented satisfactorily. That could be eliminated by using alternative sources of transport. I refer to rail transport, rather than road transport, for example. We are very lucky in this sense. It is fair to say that the Government has delivered part of a new railway line in the west of Ireland. There is a commitment in Transport 21 to continue that project. The reality of what is happening on the ground is that forestry products from counties Mayo and Galway generally go through Dublin to get to Waterford by rail. If the railway line is continued to Claremorris, as we hope it will be - the next leg of the project, from Athenry to Tuam, could start tomorrow morning - that freight traffic could be diverted from the Dublin-Waterford railway line. It could instead be brought to Limerick and across to Waterford, using the west and south coast railway lines.

We need to get real about some of these things. There are alternatives in a series of areas. I will finish on this point. I welcome the start we are making. A report produced by the EPA in 2008 states that the introduction of bio-fuels leads to "reduced dependency on oil and a reduction in the environmental impacts of transport and, in particular, greenhouse gas emissions". It claims that bio-fuels "can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy security, while yielding national and local economic benefits". It summarises the whole idea that underpins this legislation. I wish these concepts were supported by other things the Minister could do, with his Government colleagues, to ensure there is far greater use of renewable sources of energy. Such an approach would immediately reduce our dependence on imports and increase the security of our energy supply. A fortnight ago, the House debated the complications and difficulties that might exist in less peaceful times than we have at the moment.

See this speech in context