Dáil debates

Tuesday, 6 November 2007

3:00 pm

Photo of Andrew DoyleAndrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 48: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the initiatives being taken by her Department and semi-State bodies to develop a cost-effective energy policy for the horticulture sector. [27538/07]

Photo of Trevor SargentTrevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Within the horticulture sector, there has already been significant capital investment in new glass technology and more efficient growing tunnels. Grant aid has been provided by my Department for investments to maximise energy-efficient production. Investment in more efficient technologies will continue to be a priority as energy costs continue to exert pressure on margins. Under the new scheme of grant aid for commercial horticulture announced last month, priority will be given to projects that are environmentally sustainable. Proposals for investment in improved production structures and equipment for energy conservation will be welcomed. It is essential that horticultural producers bring their operations to a level of energy efficiency that can sustain them into the future.

Initiatives are being taken at both EU and national levels to develop alternative energy sources. The Government is committed to maximising the potential of non-food crops to benefit our indigenous renewable energy sector. Support is being given for research in the biofuel and biomass areas to enable us to respond to new opportunities quickly. The development of bio-energy should be of significant benefit to Irish farmers, including the horticulture sector, in which the rising cost of energy has been a major concern for many years. Teagasc is monitoring energy developments in the horticulture sector abroad and experiments are being conducted in Oakpark on alternative fuels, including woodchips.

I would like to speak about Sustainable Energy Ireland and other initiatives, including the Power of One campaign, but they are the responsibility of another Department.

Photo of Andrew DoyleAndrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State must have known what I was going to ask. The one area of Irish agriculture that our climate does not generally favour is horticulture, particularly in respect of protected crops. While I welcome the grants the Minister of State announced last month, I asked whether there is a direct, targeted energy policy. Given that the Minister of State ruled out Sustainable Energy Ireland, is it possible to link up with it through Teagasc? The most recent study, which became available in England in August, suggested that 28% of the costs incurred by the horticulture industry in that country are energy based. This is significant considering that Ireland enjoys practically the same climate as England and has the same cost base.

While I welcome the capital investment and the fact that the Minister of State is trying to encourage the development of improved mechanisms for energy efficiency, is there not an avenue that could be explored to prioritise energy? Energy costs will probably increase by 40% in the horticulture sector. If the cost of home heating oil is to increase by €60 per fill from today, one can only imagine the impact on horticulture, particularly in respect of protected crops. This would disadvantage us further competitively in a sector that is probably worth €300 million to €400 million.

Photo of Trevor SargentTrevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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I would like to give the Deputy a wide-ranging answer as if I were the Green Party leader and allowed talk about every Department. However, I am Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and must therefore confine my remarks to matters for which that Department is responsible. Notwithstanding this, I take on board the Deputy's suggestion to consider how Teagasc might extend its remit to the greatest extent possible to address crippling energy costs in agriculture, particularly horticulture. These costs will continue to rise and this explains why we are not growing as many tomatoes as we used to and why the cost of protected crops is growing accordingly in Ireland.

We must focus on other areas concerning energy, as I discussed with the Deputy when visiting the good Dominicans in Wicklow town. Organic production is and has been shown scientifically to be less energy intense than other forms of production and this creates a competitive advantage that needs to be developed. This is a focus of my work in the Department. In Wicklow, we also discussed the fact that the use of local abattoirs is much more energy efficient than taking animals to the factories, which incurs high transport costs.

I am interested in biogas in terms of anaerobic digestion and geothermal energy in terms of producing protected crops, and I have studied experiments on wind energy for heating water for protected crops. Not all these areas fall within my remit, but the clear need to address rising energy costs in horticulture is such that I will be pushing for advances in them as part of a Government with collective responsibility.

Photo of Séamus KirkSéamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Before moving to Other Questions, I ask Deputies on both the Government and Opposition sides to restrict themselves to asking questions as quickly as possible.

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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And giving the answers.

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy does not appreciate my answers.