Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)

Senator O'Toole said that decisions have to be made and that we could make it all happen tomorrow morning. Of course, if we made it all happen tomorrow morning we would then be accused of riding roughshod over every law in the country. While I agree with him on the issue of foreshore licences, a particular problem in Kerry, decisions have been made.

Senator Donohoe stated he spoke of Twitter many moons ago. One would think we had made no progress in this area. In a by-election in Kerry in 1966 - I am sure Senator O'Toole was canvassing for one side or the other - a Minister, while canvassing outside a church in Barradubh, promised he would have a telephone box installed in the area. The newly elected Member as a result of that by-election was former Deputy John O'Leary who had to deliver the phone box. In 1966 a ministerial order was required for the provision of a phone box in the village of Barradubh. Today, one can purchase a phone in any shop. That is how far we have come. I accept, however, that we can do a lot better. It is great that Senator O'Toole was, while walking around the House, able to listen to the contribution of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan. I fear had he not heard it, he would have rebutted it ad nauseam anyway.

On broadband, mobile phone technology and all other technologies, often such technologies once installed become obsolete because of improvements in this area by the day or even the hour. Senator O'Toole spoke about renewable energy and the possibilities in this regard, which he states are endless. However, people's rights must be taken into account. A particular renewable energy that is coming to Ireland and was launched only last month by Governor Schwarzenegger is the micro-fueler, which is being promoted by Mr. Thomas Quinn. The micro-fueler is a home ethanol producing system, a highly technical piece of equipment into which one puts raw ethanol which then turns to pure ethanol for use in one's car. This raw ethanol can be found in waste beer and is a by-product of fruit and algae. It can revolutionise our form of transport. No longer will we have to rely on fuel or oil from the Far East, the Middle East, Africa and Central America; we will be able to produce our own. This can be done if we manage to crack how to produce raw ethanol from algae. As Senator O'Reilly knows we have plenty of bogs all over the midlands and in Kerry. One acre of ground, which produces 500 litres of ethanol from maize could produce 5,000 litres of ethanol from algae. This, sold on to the owners of micro-fuelers, would supply all our petrol and diesel requirements. We have so many bogs cut out that we could become an exporter of ethanol. These are possibilities that along with the Minister of State, Deputy Kelleher, we are discussing with Bord na Móna which has set aside €100 million to invest in new technology and new forms of fuel. It has many bogs in which it cannot even grow trees and as such are wastelands. We can turn algae into fuel.

Earlier today I raised my concerns about mobile telephone masts with the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley. The Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources of the 29th Dáil recommended that masts should not be located beside hospitals or schools. I am sure many Senators have listened to families expressing their heartfelt concerns about this issue. There is growing evidence on the link between brain tumours and mobile telephones. Over the past ten years, which is the maximum latency period for tumours, mobile telephone usage has increased significantly.

We must be careful even as we encourage and embrace technology, although if Senator O'Toole had his way we would ride roughshod over safety and health concerns. His points in regard to rural broadband access were, however, valid. In Kenmare, 100 people had to be signed up to broadband before Eircom would supply a service. Milltown in County Kerry is not yet fully supplied with broadband. These issues will be addressed in the fullness of time and we will soon be able to provide world class broadband services to the entire country.