Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy John McGuinness, to the House for this important debate. I compliment the Green Party on tabling this motion.

If it is utilised properly, many benefits can accrue from green technology for the economy, business and individuals. It should remain high on all, including the political, agendas. Senators have referred to the current economic climate, oil prices and the current large employment — and unemployment — rates. Where there are dark clouds, there also should be opportunities. Green technology is one economic area in which the Fine Gael Party believes there are opportunities for Ireland. If we manage the research and development aspect to it in an appropriate and well-resourced manner, we could take full advantage of this growing sector.

To the general populace, renewables technology is vague and relatively new. I acknowledge the work done by Sustainable Energy Ireland in raising awareness of renewables technology. There has to be, however, local, regional, national and international demand for the technology for this sector to develop.

Other countries have already taken advantage of certain areas in renewables. Energy generation from wind turbines is already a mature and cost effective technology. There are already several global leaders in the development of wind turbine technology. Ireland, unfortunately, missed that boat and does not have a foothold in the development of wind turbines. There could be opportunities in the micro-turbine area. The Government introduced new planning guidelines to make it easier for people to install micro-turbines and I am sure many will be rolled out. The IFA should be consulted on this as it is proactive in trying to develop this area and could encourage increased demand for micro-turbines.

The ability for those with renewable energy generation to export unused energy into the grid needs to be developed. Smart-metering is being rolled out in pilot projects. We need to go one step further and show some vision. We must find ways where unused electricity generated by farms, small businesses and homes can be allowed to be exported to the grid. Currently, there are administrative and technological barriers in place preventing this. These need to be removed. If this is done it will provide an incentive for people to get involved in small-scale renewable energy generation. Once that occurs, demand will increase. Much of it is common sense if the proper policies and resources are put into developing them.

I was fortunate enough to inspect the Marine Institute's pilot projects on wave energy on the Atlantic Ocean. It is an exciting development but very much at an early stage. The two prototypes were capable of producing approximately 30 kw. The Atlantic has much potential as a wave energy source. I accept there are limitations such as ability to connect to the grid and the long-term maintenance and sustainability of the turbines but with proper investment, direction and resources, this area could develop into a large-scale commercial opportunity. Wave energy could be Ireland's niche market allowing it to be at the cutting edge. We must engage with the Marine Institute and assist the entrepreneurs involved to achieve full commercial viability. If this happens, Ireland certainly will be on the renewables technology playing pitch.

Offshore wind farms present another potential source of renewable energy but, again, barriers such as planning issues and relevant licences are hindering its development. The planning and licensing process should be streamlined.

There is an increasing number of solar panels being installed on houses. Unfortunately, we again missed the boat in developing a domestic technology in this area. We certainly can feed into it but other countries have stolen ahead in developing solar technology. The US, Japan and Germany have well-developed products and manufacturing systems. It is still an area that could be developed by Irish entrepreneurs and research and development.

I want to see more development in tidal energy technology. ESB International must be commended on the strides it has made in developing tidal turbine technology with its project on Strangford Lough. There is much potential for development of this technology when one considers the number of tidal estuaries on the island, such as Waterford and Youghal, where the tide constantly ebbs and flows. We need to develop the technology early when other countries may think it is not commercially viable. Using the universities and institutes of technology, we must invest in developing these new technologies to capture a niche market and become a world leader.

When the Siemens hydroelectric project at Ardnacrusha was first proposed, many leading politicians opposed it. One can only guess how much that has paid back in spades to the economy. Turlough Hill in Wicklow is another example. However, there are other smaller places with hydroelectric potential around the country. I come from a place in Waterford called Portlaw, where a Quaker family was generating 300 kW of power from the River Clodiagh in the mid-1800s. Not one kilowatt is being generated from that river now. We are supposed to be leading experts on high technology and renewables. Why not go back to these places where significant generation took place? There were big water mills there at the time. Incentives should be put in place for communities or districts to re-establish previously existing hydroelectric schemes. The Government should consider this.

I will mention a few other items, although I do not have much time. Geothermal energy is a technology used in Nordic countries. They are the people who took that technology and developed it, and are now selling geothermal units into our economy. They are quite expensive in terms of installation but Sustainable Energy Ireland provides grants towards them and they are to be encouraged. Many one-off houses use them for heating. They are not very viable in urban settings because a collection area is required for the heat pump. Certainly, however, it is an area that should be considered. We need to discuss the recycling and reuse of our waste, especially in view of the crisis that has occurred within the last week in the recycling market and the resultant stockpiling of waste. Senator Boyle mentioned earlier that this is an area for development. Rather than exporting our waste we should be examining ways of turning waste to energy.

I mentioned barriers earlier. Research and development, and support for institutes, universities and colleges, are key. We also need to support entrepreneurs, who have already shown vision and used money from their own pockets to try to develop projects in this area. The Government is putting this on the agenda tonight, and we can come up with all the rhetoric we want, but it is about coming up with the money to support research and development. We must give Ireland the opportunity to be a leading country in a niche area of renewable energy.

I welcome this debate and look forward to revisiting the matter in the future.