David Norris (Independent)

I thank my colleagues for sharing time and welcome the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to the House. It is good for the Irish people and the House that the Green Party has entered Government, although I am not certain it is good for the party. I believe the party will act on our behalf while in Government.

The optimism of the Minister is also good, although he may be a little over-optimistic in his view that refrigerators, cars and so forth have a life of 15 years. Unfortunately, planned obsolescence is a concept we must attack because many items do not last for 15 years. With regard to cars, we should consider introducing a tax based on fuel consumption rather than engine size. I and many others have old cars. I walked to the House today, although I used to cycle here. Unfortunately, it has become too dangerous to cycle in Dublin, despite the fragmented cycle lanes.

Addressing these issues earlier today, Professor Frank Convery, a distinguished environmentalist, stated:

Setting targets on climate change and sustainability is painless, but meeting them requires putting in place the right policies; sufficient resources and well-motivated and functioning institutions at national, regional and local levels. To be effective, sustainable development policy must involve many Government Departments and agencies working together and must interact productively with stakeholders in business and the community.

Given the lack of communication we observed in a single area, the health service, it will be a major challenge to the Green Party to develop the type of networking approach required with Ministers from other parties.

I congratulate my colleague, Senator Ivana Bacik, on producing the Climate Protection Bill 2007. I will follow its progress with great interest. The Green Party will learn that there are harsh political realities, as might Senator Bacik, although she is very much a realist.

Ireland appears to be leading the field in wave energy. For example, some of the technical problems of harnessing the bobbing motion of waves have been solved by Irish scientists. This is a welcome development in which the Government should invest.

I ask the Minister to examine a specific matter. During the debate on Senator Bacik's Bill, I handed a letter to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley. I ask his colleague, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to ensure the issue is followed up. The letter was written by individuals with whom I have had contact in Cyprus and Switzerland who have developed an interesting and sophisticated high frequency ignition system which will save considerable amounts of fuel. I ask that the Government investigate this technology with a view to possibly investing in it or assisting its development. Will the Minister give an undertaking to have the system assessed? In this regard, I am pleased that a large company, Dodge motors, has today announced the launch of a new green car.

I ask the Government to ensure that the media and certain political sources lay off the Shell to Sea group, whose campaign is perfectly right. I am one of the old-fashioned pinkos who believe we should own the wealth of the country and the means of production and distribution. We should take control of our resources, which may increase as we drill deeper under the Atlantic Ocean.