Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. It illustrates the extent to which co-operation between the two objectives can be so helpful to the economy and to the quality of life, air and water throughout the country.

I thank the Minister of State again, but I would also point out that it might not be a bad idea to engage with the farming community and the agrifood sector on a different basis altogether, to engage with them in order to point out the ways and means by which they can help themselves to achieve the targets required, while at the same time helping the economy and remaining a viable part of that economy, knowing that at some stage in the future they may be called upon again to perform the economic rescue they were able to perform in the past. I believe that much can be achieved by way of co-operation. Much can be achieved in the provision of wind energy. There is nobody who does not accept that wind energy is fairly readily available and ongoing in this country and that it is a clean and viable source of energy. Not to avail of it would be very foolish.

I believe that we can do a great deal in this regard. Many people speculate about the possibility of reducing food production. It would be very dangerous for a country like Ireland, which produces food for almost 50 million people, to reduce food production. Let us not forget that there are millions of people on the brink of starvation all over the world. It is not true to say that we will not need food in the future; we will.

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