Kathleen O'Meara (Labour)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House to discuss this important legislation which gives statutory effect to the establishment of the National Oil Reserves Agency. No one has difficulty with the Bill in principle and it has been passed by the Dáil. The Labour Party welcomes the statutory underpinning of NORA, which is long overdue. It started life in the Dáil before the 2006 summer recess and was discussed considerably. I am sure it will not take long to pass through this House.

As speakers have stated, providing NORA with statutory underpinning is important because everyone knows how dependent our country is on oil. That consumption per capita increased by more than 50% between 1990 and 2002 is notable and is in line with economic expansion and a great level of economic activity. Oil is the most significant element of our dependency, accounting for more than 55% of our total primary energy requirement in 2004. As Senator Kenneally pointed out, we must examine alternatives. We do not need to be told that the world's oil production will peak. When that will be is a matter of some discussion and dispute.

As an economy with a significant energy requirement, we must examine our responsibility under the Kyoto Agreement, especially the manner in which we are overdependent on unsustainable energy sources, including oil, which has a considerable impact in terms of global warming. We have a responsibility, but the Government is not living up to it.

How quickly the context and conversation have changed is notable. Everyone knows that we must move away from our oil dependency. As there is a public will to do so, I appeal to the Government to build on that will in a better way than it has done. We must reduce our emissions, make our contribution to a safer world, recognise the dangers posed by an accelerated rate of global warming and allow people to use alternatives. I do not disagree with Senator Kenneally's suggestions.

I am a member of the Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, at which a presentation was made by a Dutch expert two years ago or more. He claimed that our capacity for wind energy is so great that we could, if we managed it properly, be in a position to export it from this country. Think about how that would even further transform the level of national wealth. Ireland could be selling energy to our neighbours and into the European grid. It must be asked why we are not doing this. We would become as rich, in those terms, as oil producing countries have been for years. Furthermore, wind as a resource will never run out.

I should like to know why we are not developing wind energy at a greater level than we are currently. I come from a constituency where one has not to drive too far to see turbines and I have no difficulty with them. We should also be developing the capacity for offshore wind energy.

I am sure research has been done on the potential downsides to wind energy, in other words storage, in the context of Ireland being connected to the European grid. We know that oil will ultimately run out. Before that point is reached, however, supply could be problematic, given that in many cases it must be sourced from some of the world's more unstable regions. The level of production available on world markets is not something we can control. Given the upward price variations in oil in recent years and our dependency on it, it would be irresponsible not to look for alternatives and ways in which to reduce this dependency. In terms of the heating of homes and buildings there are many options available such as solar energy, wood chip and ways of tapping into the earth's natural energy through piping. Energy may be tapped low underneath a house simply by piping. All of these initiatives involve sustainable sources of energy. Bio-ethanol has been mentioned as well. None of these solutions will solve our energy problems on their own, but taken together in an overall strategy, their potential as alternatives must be accelerated.

I have mentioned emissions, carbon tax, the footprint question, all new terms that we have become familiar with only recently. People ask me all the time why new houses are not required to have solar panels. They ask why developers are not required to ensure that houses are meeting the standards necessary for fuel consumption to be at the most efficient and effective levels. We are simply not doing enough in that regard.

We also face a major issue with regard to our carbon tax responsibilities. Much of that, strictly speaking, is not the concern of this legislation, nonetheless I welcome the opportunity to raise these matters. We need a comprehensive strategy for developing alternatives. We need an effective and speedy strategy to reduce our dependence on oil. We not only know that oil will run out, but it is a non-sustainable resource and as such, contributes to global warming. We have responsibilities to the future, not only in environmental but economic terms, to manage a rapidly changing situation.