Tom Morrissey (Progressive Democrats)

I have raised this issue on the Adjournment because, from commentators and from our own experience in the past few years and very recently, we all know about the cost of energy in our homes and businesses. We must begin looking at alternative sources of energy in this country. As an island nation we are very dependent on others to supply our energy needs.

Without Government support for, or interest in, the wind energy sector, the opportunity to develop offshore wind farms in Ireland will be lost for a long time. We have no commercially proven oil reserves and we have limited gas reserves, so we are at the mercy of outside energy suppliers. As an island we have very good wind speeds capable of meeting our energy requirements. For example, a wind turbine in Ireland will deliver twice as much power as the same turbine in Germany. We are the envy of Europe because of our wind speeds.

Offshore does not have the same planning issues or constraints as onshore, and offers the opportunity to develop wind farms to produce a large proportion of our energy requirements. The recent operation of AER VI amounted to tinkering with the system, in that one company was offered two AERs of 25 MW each for the Kish and Bray banks, which adjoin each other. When one looks at recent energy prices, the typical man or woman in the street, if asked why energy prices had gone through the roof, might blame the war in Iraq, but a typical economist might be more likely to blame the growth of China. For example, the consumption of oil in China on an annual basis is now the equivalent of the world's supply of oil in the mid 1990s. That gives us an indication of the quantity of oil being used by China's emerging and growing economy. If that trend continues, which I have no doubt it will, we will remain at the mercy of others in terms of our energy needs.

The offshore wind sector has not received the support it deserves in this country. Wind energy use can assist us in meeting our Kyoto Protocol obligations in terms of reducing carbon gases. I ask the Minister of State to consider the issue seriously and I look forward to what he will tell us tonight regarding what assistance the Government is providing for this energy sector.