Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have listened to the Minister's reply. There is a great deal of concern and alarm that Ireland has not joined the group of EU member states that are committed to the 5% cap. The group includes countries like the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Belgium and Luxembourg. Twenty-seven EU Commissioners signed off on a cap of 5%. In March of this year, I had an exchange with the Minister of State, Deputy Costello, during which he said that Ireland is supporting the 5% cap. When the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, met representatives of non-governmental organisations to discuss this issue, he said they made a compelling case for not providing for a higher rate. He said he was conscious of the negative impact that a rate of more than 5% would have on some countries. It is as if the Minister of State with responsibility for trade and development is saying one thing and the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources is saying something else. During my exchange last March with the Minister of State, Deputy Costello, I asked him whether he had held discussions with the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte. He said he had spoken to the Minister about this matter the previous day. I do not think the Minister and the Minister of State can have been talking about bio-fuels on that occasion. The commitment to the 5% cap was born out of the Mary Robinson conference on climate justice and change, in which Ireland participated as the host country. A cap of 5%, rather than what was referred to in the Minister's reply, is being proposed at the moment as a compromise.

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