Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

Before we finalise the debate on the Bill, I welcome the fact that the Minister has decided not to introduce a very large amendment on a carbon levy on energy generators to address an issue I have been raising for some time with the Minister and which, to be fair, has been with the Attorney General's office for some time. The Minister might give us an indication as to when we are likely to see that legislation in a separate Bill rather than as an amendment to this legislation, which is a separate issue. I understand the Department has been working overtime to try to make that happen. I appreciate that because we want to try to get it in place before the summer recess. My party will try to facilitate that as best we can. We may have some differences of opinion in terms of the detail of the legislation but the principle is one we support.

As a result of the Energy (Biofuel Obligation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill and in conjunction with what the Minister announced yesterday regarding refit tariffs for the biomass and biofuels industry in terms of energy generation, I hope we will soon see new tariffs coming into play for microgeneration and micro-CHP also. An exciting new industry is developing here which this Bill supports by guaranteeing a marketplace for biofuels in Ireland. The challenge for us as policymakers is to ensure we maximise the benefit of that biofuel for domestic industry and domestic producers, and I believe we are going some way to doing that. I welcome the legislation and the debate we have had on it to date. I look forward to seeing the new legislation on the carbon levy that was to be attached to this legislation but now will be a Bill in its own right.

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