Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

It is customary for Opposition Members to ask the questions in this House, not the Minister, but I shall indulge him on this occasion, in telling him what I have already told him, namely, that the party has called for the PSO levy to be suspended for several months, pending a review, and that the moneys be taken away from the hyper profits of the semi-State companies the Minister likes to protect. I refer to the €500 million in profits they made last year which dwarf the money required for the PSO levy. I have already told him that, but obviously he does not want to listen.

I was very concerned at the Minister's answer. I heard him say, "We are looking at the cost...". Why is he only looking at it now? Surely he should work out the cost before engaging in this policy. He said they had worked out various cost scenarios. My question specifically asked whether his Department had calculated or received any calculations from anybody under its aegis, estimating this, and he has not given the answer. Why is he concealing that answer? He has just admitted that he has "worked out various cost scenarios". Will he publish them? Why is he concealing them? Why did he deny this in his answer? Why has he misled the Dáil on that point? Why had he not worked this out before applying for new state aid?

My concern is here. I can buy into much of the Minister's ideological vision on this, and I am enthusiastic about much of it. However, one cannot have any ideology, no matter what it is, if one does not test it first with basic numbers and facts. The Minister seems not to be doing this, which is a matter of great concern for the public interest. He might tell us what those cost scenarios are and explain why they were not in his answer. He might also explain why he has misled the Dáil on this issue by concealing information from us and whether he intends to publish the information now that he has admitted it exists. He might also confirm to us that if Ireland does export wind to other countries - I hope we will be in that position if hydrocarbon fuel prices rise to an unsustainable level, and I share the Minister's vision in this regard - we will not be subsidising it before it goes out. In other words, we should not ask Irish people to pay part of the bill of French or British consumers. I ask the Minister to confirm that this will not be the case.

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