Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

There is Government support for the renewable energy sector. Deputies questioned us regarding support for the growing of miscanthus and willow. This coming year provision has been made for a very substantial increase, the largest ever.

I wish to be accurate in my reply to Deputy Sherlock regarding the implications for the EU sugar regime, were a bioethanol production facility to be established in Ireland. I will communicate with both Deputies. I did not check that issue but I recall reading it prior to the last debate. The note I had at that time referred to out-of-quota sugar and the fact that Greencore had carried out some initial studies on the viability of such a plan.

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