Dáil debates
Wednesday, 24 May 2006
Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed).
12:00 pm
Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I reiterate that this is one of a suite of measures that will allow the Government to continue to drive forward a very progressive energy agenda. As I have already mentioned we are already providing strong leadership in the areas of wind power and other renewable energy sources and we intend to continue to do so. Future measures include the upcoming NORA Bill and the single electricity market Bill as well as the Department's Green Paper on energy policy. As many of the issues raised in the Deputies' contributions on this Stage of the Bill will be addressed in that policy paper, I do not intend to go through them in any more detail at this stage.
I welcome the support of Members for the provisions of the Bill. I look forward to its early Committee Stage consideration with the objective of progressing it to the Statute Book as quickly as possible. In this regard, I ask members of the select committee to table their proposed amendments as quickly as possible to allow them to be given full and fair consideration. I will consider all amendments with an open mind to see if we can improve the Bill.
I believe the House is also aware that I propose to extend the Bill and I will table the appropriate amendments as soon as they are ready to allow full discussion on those provisions. To that end proposals were brought to Government yesterday to allow for the addition within the text of the Bill of measures currently outside its scope, notably to provide for the conferring on Bord Gáis Éireann of the power to create a capital stock. We will table the necessary motion to allow Deputies to discuss those proposed amendments prior to Committee Stage.
I again thank the Members from all sides of the House for their very constructive approach to the Second Stage and I look forward to the Committee Stage.
The Dail Divided:
For the motion: 76 (Noel Ahern, Barry Andrews, Seán Ardagh, Niall Blaney, Johnny Brady, Martin Brady, Séamus Brennan, Joe Callanan, Pat Carey, John Carty, Donie Cassidy, Michael J Collins, Beverley Flynn, Mary Coughlan, Brian Cowen, John Cregan, Martin Cullen, John Curran, Síle de Valera, Noel Dempsey, Tony Dempsey, John Dennehy, Jimmy Devins, John Ellis, Michael Finneran, Dermot Fitzpatrick, Seán Fleming, Mildred Fox, Pat Gallagher, Jim Glennon, Noel Grealish, Mary Harney, Seán Haughey, Jackie Healy-Rae, Máire Hoctor, Joe Jacob, Cecilia Keaveney, Billy Kelleher, Peter Kelly, Tony Killeen, Séamus Kirk, Tom Kitt, Brian Lenihan Jnr, Jim McDaid, Michael McDowell, Tom McEllistrim, John McGuinness, John Moloney, Donal Moynihan, Michael Moynihan, Michael Mulcahy, M J Nolan, Éamon Ó Cuív, Seán Ó Fearghaíl, Charlie O'Connor, Willie O'Dea, Liz O'Donnell, Denis O'Donovan, Noel O'Flynn, Batt O'Keeffe, Ned O'Keeffe, Fiona O'Malley, Tim O'Malley, Tom Parlon, Peter Power, Seán Power, Dick Roche, Mae Sexton, Brendan Smith, Michael Smith, Noel Treacy, Dan Wallace, Mary Wallace, Joe Walsh, Ollie Wilkinson, G V Wright)
Against the motion: 62 (Bernard Allen, Dan Boyle, James Breen, Tommy Broughan, Joan Burton, Paul Connaughton, Paudge Connolly, Joe Costello, Simon Coveney, Seymour Crawford, Seán Crowe, Ciarán Cuffe, John Deasy, Jimmy Deenihan, Bernard Durkan, Damien English, Olwyn Enright, Martin Ferris, Eamon Gilmore, Paul Gogarty, John Gormley, Tony Gregory, Marian Harkin, Séamus Healy, Joe Higgins, Michael D Higgins, Phil Hogan, Paul Kehoe, Enda Kenny, Kathleen Lynch, Pádraic McCormack, Shane McEntee, Dinny McGinley, Finian McGrath, Paul McGrath, Paddy McHugh, Liz McManus, Gay Mitchell, Arthur Morgan, Breeda Moynihan-Cronin, Catherine Murphy, Dan Neville, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, Fergus O'Dowd, Jim O'Keeffe, Brian O'Shea, Jan O'Sullivan, Séamus Pattison, Willie Penrose, John Perry, Ruairi Quinn, Pat Rabbitte, Michael Ring, Eamon Ryan, Seán Ryan, Joe Sherlock, Róisín Shortall, Emmet Stagg, David Stanton, Billy Timmins, Liam Twomey, Mary Upton)
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Kitt and Kelleher; Níl, Deputies Kehoe and Stagg.
Question declared carried.