Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am disappointed with the Minister of State's response in that he said this is a matter for the Minister for Finance and not the Minister. That is poor consolidation to workers who will be unemployed for three months during the summer. This is the reason I call for a co-ordinated approach by the Government, including the Minister for Finance, the Minister with responsibility for energy, the Minister with responsibility for employment and the Minister of State present, to ensure there is fair competition when we are competing with the North and being flooded with material from the North that is not subject to a carbon tax. I ask the Minister of State to take a hands-on approach to try and resolve this problem.

It is a question of the cost of production which the Government is certainly in a position to address with Bord na Móna. If there is a will, there is a way. We ask the Minister to have the will and a way can then be found.

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