Dan Boyle (Green Party)

The company was given a five year derogation from compliance with an integrated pollution licence. That is the type of information that will inform this debate in future.

Senator Quinn raised the matter of food shortages and spoke of the other side of the coin in that regard. He spoke of the developed world and the shocking statistic that 20% of the world's population consume 80% of the food. It is important that we have a debate on this matter which should be informed by events at the G8 meeting this week. The Senator was joined by other Senators including Senator Hanafin and Senator Keaveney in requesting such a debate, which is worth having.

I have strong reservations about matters relating to the debate on GM food. Senator Hanafin raised the issue of genetically modified bio-fuel. The issue of bio-fuel is caught up with those of food shortages. There are people who seem to think we can continue to use the same amount of fuel to travel to the same extent and that we can simply replace the lack of oil with other substances such as bio-fuel. That mentality is creating food shortages elsewhere on the planet. Bio-fuel is a substitute, but not a replacement for the sources of fuel we use to travel. We need a wider debate on how, where and what we can grow and for what purposes.

There is also a need for a wider debate on GM food to consider how it contaminates other substances and the matter of GM food companies which hold onto patents, making it difficult to grow other foods in the future. There is a wider political and moral debate that needs to be held on those grounds. Such a debate is worth having and I am sure many in this House would be willing to participate.

Senator Prendergast and Senator Callely raised the issue of what is termed "bed-blocking". I accept the term is offensive and perhaps we should use the term "over-hospitalisation". This debate should include the need for step-down facilities and increased access to nursing homes.