Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for the reply. The difficulty is it appears to indicate that a logjam has been reached with regard to those people who have invested in the industry and are now faced with a decision in which they had thought they had an outlet for the crop but are experiencing difficulties. I had not been informed that the Minister had met the company concerned. I really seek to ascertain what can be done to assist these people and to ensure there is some outlet for them in the future. In the last line of his reply, the Minister noted that as REFIT 3 comes online, it would create further demand for energy from biomass and miscanthus. When is this likely to happen and what is the likelihood of it coming on-stream in the short term? Do the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources or the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, to which the Minister referred in his reply, have evidence or details regarding a commitment having been given by Bord na Móna or any other entity when these farmers were investing in the crop? The Minister might clarify these two points.

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