Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Seanad Éireann" and substitute the following:

"recognises that

Ireland failed to meet its responsibilities under the Kyoto protocol and its greenhouse gas emissions are twice the overall target;

only 4.5% of Ireland's primary energy supply comes from renewables;

fossil fuels still account for approximately 92.5% of all energy used in Ireland; and

consumption of fossil fuels in the transport sector grew by 150.7% from 1990-2005 while energy efficiency in this sector only improved by 0.8% since 1995 and the sector was responsible for 33% (15,273 kt CO2 ) of Ireland's energy related CO2 emissions, higher than any other sector

and calls on the Government to

amend the National Spatial Strategy to include major renewable energy infrastructure projects and ensure that renewable energy infrastructure constitutes an element of Regional Development Plans;

build the necessary interconnecting infrastructure with other electricity markets to allow for a significant increase in generation from wind and increase research and development funding in the offshore hydro-electric sector to ensure established targets are met;

set clear targets for the wood energy sector in Ireland in order to reduce Ireland's dependence on fossil fuels;

make Ireland less car dependent by fast-tracking high capacity commuter public transport services into the capital and other cities;

reform Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) through the establishment of a system of energy efficiency labelling for motor vehicles, with lower rates of VRT for those cars with more efficient engines; and

publish annual reports to analyse progress on its commitment to reduce by 3% per year greenhouse gas emissions and to produce one third of all energy from renewable sources by 2020."

I also welcome the Minister to the House. I do not doubt his commitment to all he has just said and to improving Ireland's role on a global scale in the issue of climate change.

We, in Fine Gael, also believe there should be cross-party support on an issue such as this. Only a few weeks ago, the Independent Senators, in fairness to them, moved a motion on climate change that won cross-party support in the House. Their motion set the bar high, as they stated on the day that it will require the Government to achieve what it says it will achieve. We, as Opposition parties, will work with the Minister because climate change is an issue for the planet, for Ireland and for the people who we represent, and it must be taken seriously.

I do not want to have to quote statistics because we all are clear on the matter. It is important that we debate issues such as climate change, not only here in the Oireachtas but at every level in society. Whether in the schools, the playgrounds, the pubs or the shops, the more we talk about it, the more awareness of it we create and the more education will be disseminated on the challenges that lie ahead for us all. We accept that.

There are some stark facts we must examine. Only 4.5% of Ireland's primary energy supply comes from renewables, which alone is a considerable challenge, and fossil fuels still account for approximately 92.5% of all energy used in Ireland. It is easy to come in here and state what we will do, but we must also look back and ask what has the Government done for the past ten years. It has propagated an economy driven by a heavy overdependence on fossil fuels, construction and on many areas that contribute to the evident climate change.

While I welcome the formation of the new Oireachtas Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, it must work in a tangible and practical way to deliver results. To date we have seen many policies on climate change, whether on wind energy or renewable energy, but we have seen few resources or tangible supports to drive those policies. The challenge is there for us all. I am looking forward to sitting on an Oireachtas committee that will drive the policies the Government will bring forward and to which we, as Opposition, can add. I hope the Minister will listen to what we have to offer because we represent a large constituency in this country. We will bring proposals to committee that will be tangible and workable and we hope the Government can take them on board.

We need to build the necessary interconnecting infrastructure with other electricity markets to which the Minister referred. There needs to be a significant increase in generation from wind energy and an increase in the research and development funding in the offshore hydro-electric sector to ensure established targets are met. We also need to set clear targets for the wood energy sector in order to reduce Ireland's overdependence on fossil fuels. As the Minister stated, we need to make Ireland less car dependent by fast-tracking high capacity commuter public transport. This is something that has not happened to date. One can travel on any road in Ireland and see the congestion with cars and heavy goods vehicles. We need to do more in the area of public transport to improve matters in this area.

I ask also that we examine reform of the vehicle registration tax through the establishment of a system of energy efficiency labelling for motor vehicles. We should provide people with incentives to drive cars that are more energy efficient. As there are many such cars available, it should be relatively easy for the Government to do so. I ask that we examine that as a way of tackling, in a small way that could have a major impact, the climate change issue.

Ireland is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world, according to the EPA. An establishment of a carbon fund of €270 million, managed by the National Treasury Management Agency, was announced in Budget 2007. A fund of €270 million for indigenous renewable energy could have a massive impact. We need to reverse our thinking on how we apply our funding to provide incentives for renewable energies rather than buy our way out of trouble which seems to be the way we are going. The €270 million investment in Kyoto credits does nothing to secure energy supply; it just serves to let the Government off the hook regarding its responsibility to cut CO2 emissions. Neither does it do anything to ease our overwhelming over-dependence on oil as an energy source. This is most worrying, especially when one considers the International Energy Agency's announcement today regarding oil prices, a point to which the Minister referred. This is a stark warning to us all which we should not even need at this stage.

In its election manifesto, Fine Gael called for the establishment of a centre for excellence, incorporating Sustainable Energy Ireland, a body which does marvellous work with limited resources. The greener homes scheme had a good impact in terms of promoting renewable energies for domestic dwellings. However, I picked up on some negativity regarding the scheme. The pioneers of renewable energy in homes who invested in this area when no grants were available were left behind when this scheme was introduced. The Minister may be aware of the feelings on this matter also. These people did not qualify for grants because they had already installed renewable energy technologies in their homes. They were left out in the cold when the grants were introduced, even though they were willing to take a risk and invest in renewable energies when nobody else was doing so.

Sustainable Energy Ireland is doing good work and creating awareness in communities and it needs all the help it can get. A centre of excellence incorporating Sustainable Energy Ireland should be attached to an institute of technology and this centre would encourage, incentivise and develop the alternative energy sector with the objective of replacing a major percentage of energy imports and securing supply.

If we wish to address issues of climate change and energy security such a base of research and innovation is imperative and has the potential to form a lucrative component of Ireland's knowledge economy. David Taylor of Sustainable Energy Ireland believes the market for ocean energy may be worth up to €2 billion for the Republic if developed properly. It is certainly worth looking into this option. The Irish company, OpenHydro, which designs and manufactures marine turbines which are used to generate renewable energy from deep-sea tidal currents, was awarded almost €2 million in grant support from the Scottish Executive. The aim of this UK Department of Trade and Industry's initiative is to become a world leader in supplying marine technology. Only a few countries such as Portugal and Ireland have the potential to rival Scotland's marine and wind energy resources. Ireland has significant potential in terms of this natural resource. We are surrounded by water and we have rolling hillside that could support wind farms if managed and developed properly. The potential is significant if we are serious about exploiting this area.

We should support and invest in our own green entrepreneurs. I hope the Minister takes on board this point. We can have all the policies and committees we like but it is crucial we must support entrepreneurs to promote renewable energies both economically and in terms of a mentoring system. We must provide support for their drive to achieve. Currently we have policies, but support on the ground is lacking. This is an issue worth addressing in more depth in committee.

I accept there will be other opportunities to discuss the range of other issues I wish to address. A proper feasibility study needs to be carried out on the east-west interconnector. The Minister has proposed the installation of a 500 MW interconnector. A feasibility study must be carried out on an interconnector. For very little extra investment we could install capacity for 1,000 MW without building the stations at both sides. We could install the cable to carry that capacity and leave room for expansion that may be required in the years ahead. We can then import and export electricity at a better rate and we will not be as constrained as is currently the case.

This debate has provided much food for thought. We in Fine Gael are serious about green issues such as climate change and energy security and we always have been. We will work proactively in the committee system in this regard. The measures outlined in the Fine Gael amendment are tangible and practical ways for the Government to achieve results in terms of climate change. I thank the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, for attending this debate.