John Ellis (Fianna Fail)

I congratulate Deputy Gormley on his appointment as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and I have no doubt he will do a good job in that Department.

When we speak about climate change and greenhouse gases, it is imperative to realise that Ireland probably has had a greater increase owing to our economic development over the past ten to 15 years. This has probably contributed to the fact that we have had problems with greenhouse gas emissions.

There is a need for an across the board political approach to problems such as those identified in the Bill. We all want to see the environment and our climate protected. In recent years we have seen the climate change that has taken place. In that climate change our summers have become wetter and our winters much warmer. We no longer have the five or six weeks of frost some of us experienced in the 1960s. We have not had such frost for the past ten to 15 years, nor did we have one week of continual frost last winter. This proves there is climate change.

We can do either of two things. Like some people, such as the Americans and the Chinese, we can ignore it and say we will continue to play and let the others try to do the rectification. That is not the proper approach. This matter should be approached on a worldwide basis. I agree with Senator O'Toole who said it should be monitored by an independent body such as the United Nations or some other worldwide group.

When we speak about greenhouse gases, we must look at how to deal with our waste problems right across the board. Every sector in the country has a waste problem, from the ordinary householder to the largest industry. Fossil fuels and transport are two of the most significant polluters in the country. If we are to remain economically viable, we must have transport. Owing to the size of the country, public transport is not always the answer, especially when it comes to dealing with the haulage of commercial goods. Many in business will say it is much cheaper to load the container in the factory and send it directly to the port than to load it in the factory, send it to a rail head and have it unloaded again. This is because the costs are too high. Therefore, owing to our size we will always have to depend mainly on transport for industries and exports.

In the area of household waste, many are still not aware of what can or cannot be recycled. Occasionally we see the odd private fire, especially on a Saturday night or Sunday morning, when somebody decides he or she wants to get rid of waste. It is unacceptable that this should happen in modern times and nobody wants to see it because people are becoming much more responsible.

The cost of recycling frightens many people. We have seen the development of large waste management and waste recycling companies. Some of the largest companies have become very involved in it which means it must be a profitable venture. However, is it profitable at the expense of the State or the consumer? That is an issue that needs to be examined. We would all like that everything that can be recycled to be recycled, but in this case the costs are starting to outstrip the viability. If that happens, there will be serious problems in maintaining recycling programmes and projects. We all know there are a large number of alternatives to deal with some of these situations.

We all accept there should be further incentives for alternative energy sources. The proof that the public accept it is that the recent allocation for energy projects for houses was taken up so quickly that the Minister has to announce a new programme either this week or next week. That shows that people are becoming very aware of climate change and their need to make a contribution to prevent it. There is not much sense in our making every effort when President Bush appears to be opposed to signing up to the worldwide climate change programme, as are the Chinese and a number of the major industrial players in the world. We should start to apply pressure on these groups to get them involved on a continual basis with a view to reducing greenhouse gases.

There are a number of other areas where we could improve our environmental record. Bio-digesters will have a major role to play so far as agriculture is concerned. There is no doubt that agriculture is a major contributor but we must ensure it is allowed to continue to prosper. Let nobody be under any illusions, whoever is in this House in 15 or 20 years' time will be speaking about food and food shortage. That is happening already. I heard the Minister for Agriculture and Food answer questions in the Dáil today on the cost of energy projects that are taking wheat and other crops off the market. That is evident in the agriculture sector where the increase in feed prices has been of the order of 60% or 70% during the past 12 months. We examine all the elements.

I hope the House can have a full debate on this subject in the coming months. While the Bill will probably satisfy some people, we must have a full approach and ensure we do everything possible to make our contribution. However, there is not much sense in making our contribution while some of the largest players turn what we do on its head.