Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I think the Deputy is being unfair and contradictory. He cannot say that he sees no evidence of the plan while at the same time his party frequently complains to me about new planning applications for wind farms in different parts of the country. I do not think the Deputy can have it both ways. The 40% target for renewables is important in that it increases diversity and it uses an available indigenous resource. As the Deputy rightly points out it reduces dependence on imported fuels and lowers that import bill of €6 billion. All the advice available to me forecasts that the 40% target will be met.

The Deputy can pursue my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, on the transport aspect of the matter. While it is difficult, the plan we have set ourselves relates in a European context to the situation post-2020 and what will happen after the 2020 targets. We will continue to make the 2020 targets which have been agreed our targets.

See this speech in context