Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and I will be brief. Based on the An Bord Pleanála decision in west Offaly, we need to have Irish-grown biomass support in this country to ensure that both Lanesborough and Shannonbridge power stations can co-fire. As the Minister and his officials know, as Minister, I made it clear that priority must be given to the growing of local biomass before any imports would be considered for either of those power stations. We now have the demand side in place with respect to use for biomass. This relates to a support scheme for renewable heat and power generation in Lanesborough, Shannonbridge and Edenderry. We urgently need financial supports to be put in place to establish and grow these crops. We need approximately €33 million for a financial package to establish and pay a premium for three years to farmers before we can harvest the approximately 10,000 ha of willow that would be required to power those two power stations.

I know a working group was established between the Minister's Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to engage on this and put a support package in place to ensure farmers could have financial aid to establish these crops across the midlands.

There is sufficient land there to meet the need. It would provide farmers in the vicinity of those two power stations with a steady cash income which would be contracted to them by Bord na Móna. It would also ensure that when the new application for west Offaly and the current application for Lough Ree go before An Bord Pleanála they will be looked at positively, because the supply of biomass will be sourced locally. This would support local communities across the region.

See this speech in context