Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, to the House. This debate is timely and I compliment the Independent Senators on tabling this motion. The joint committee, of which Senator Kenneally and I are members, has been debating energy for a period of time. I hope we will soon publish a document on energy policy for the future. However, I wish to express my disappointment with one aspect of the approach taken by the committee which has put a great deal of work into this matter and has employed a consultant. Unfortunately, we are doing our work very much in a vacuum. The most definitive document that has emerged on energy policy in recent times is the Deloitte & Touche consultants report which was published before December last and remains an ongoing secret to the Minister and his senior officials, as well as to the wise men within the energy regulator's office who tell us their lips are sealed in terms of revealing the contents of the report.

In framing a policy document for the future, it would be interesting if the committee had access to that definitive report because it parallels what we are doing. It is unfortunate that the Minister is producing his own policy on energy up to 2020. One should not forget that it is taxpayers' money that is paying for this consultant's report which cost in excess of €1 million, and, accordingly, it should not be regarded as a secret document——