Feargal Quinn (Independent)

He is still going although he is in his 70s. He advocates biofuels which he uses in his car and has started a company to produce them around the United States. There is a recognition of the problem and the opportunities but too few people are taking steps to deal with it. Three American states, Minnesota, Montana and Hawaii have legislated to the effect that 10% of all gasoline and diesel must contain ethanol or some biofuels.

It is not understood here that there is a crisis. I quoted James Lovelock saying that civilisation is in imminent danger. He also said biofuels will not solve the problem, they are part of the solution but would require areas of land that the world cannot spare if it is to feed its population in the future. Although he is anti-nuclear energy, he has decided there is a need to investigate the nuclear option. I do not know enough about the subject but I hope today to progress the debate a little further, not just on nuclear energy. We have a crisis and must solve it one way or another but the Government does not seem to recognise this. Some of the steps taken are correct and the Government says that it has a plan.

A few weeks ago I mentioned on television my interest in sustainable energy and have been very impressed at the number of people who have contacted me since then in Ireland who are doing interesting things with wind, waves and biofuels. Much is happening. The Government said it will encourage this area but we have not tapped the resource of manpower and inventiveness, by giving people incentives to think their way through this problem.

One of the mistakes we have made in the past is to try to invent something new. We do not always need to reinvent because developments are taking place around the world that we can copy. Some were mentioned tonight and from that point of view it has been a useful debate. I am disappointed, however, in the Government's insistence on tabling an amendment to the motion. I have said I will not call a vote on this. Of course I support what the Government is doing but it is not enough.

The Minister's speech included the following phrases: "We are well placed . . . I can advise Senators that the Government intends to publish an energy policy Green Paper shortly . . . we have rolled out a series of initiatives we have put in place a new five-year excise relief . . . We are delivering an ocean energy strategy . . . We will launch a combined heat and power programme. . . we are introducing a number of initiatives. . . will also culminate in an agreed joint policy paper . . . The Government is working as a team . . . ". There is no sense of urgency in these words. I urge the Minister of State and the Government to recognise that sense of urgency.

Alfred Cavallo, a physicist, said "People should be doing something now to reduce oil dependence and not waiting for Mother Nature to slap them in the face". The Government must act much more quickly or it will not be mother nature who will slap it in the face but the voters who will say the Government let them down because it did not move fast enough or with enough determination.