Fiona O'Malley (Progressive Democrats)

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on this issue. If one stays long enough in politics, first, one might live long enough to see one's dreams come true and, second, one might live to see that what one may have wished for is not necessarily the most beneficial thing. In 2004, I tabled an Adjournment matter because I had been alerted to the whole bio-fuels issue which was in its early days. I said the potential was enormous and I requested that the Minister bring forward a measure in regard to bio-fuels. We are a little further on and a measure will be enacted.

As Senators Mullen and McCarthy said, the first types of bio-fuels at which we looked are not necessarily very sustainable, both in Ireland and internationally. We have moved on to the second phase of bio-fuels. There is scope there but we need to do things differently. That is what I meant when I said that one should be cautious about what one dreams for. What may have appeared a fantastic idea might not necessarily play out as one, and this has come to pass.

I am excited by this new type of fuel, dimethyl ether, DME. This will be the new bio-fuel and in what Ireland needs to invest. I encourage Members to look at the website www.bluefuelenergy.com. This is the most extraordinary fuel. It is clean and is a type of gas which can be used in housing and vehicles. It is quite extraordinary and is very much at the cutting edge. The added potential for our country is that wind generation can be used to get more out of it.

I speak very vaguely because it is literally at the cutting edge of science. China and Korea, in particular, are leading the way in this regard. If one looks at this website, one will see where it is at. This is where it is at for Ireland. The Minister may not be fully aware of the potential in Ireland for DME and how to exploit it. That is why I welcome this initiative. While we are all still in the mindset of bio-fuels and of sticking the pump into the nozzle in the car in the same old way, Members should look at this www.bluefuelenergy.com website. They will be blown away by what can be done. It is fuel from air. This is where we can really lead the way. A very select group of academics are looking at it. The cutting edge is in the east, in Indonesia and such places, and that is why Ireland needs to recognise the potential. Much more can be got out of it through wind energy.

I have concentrated on DME but I welcome this initiative and the fact we are finally bringing more conventional bio-fuels to bear in the country. I hope it brings opportunities for our agriculture sector. Farmers are entrepreneurs but they need to know there is a secure market. This can be demonstrated by this initiative.

I very much welcome it in so far as it goes but I urge the Minister to look at dimethyl ether, DME, because it is the way of the future. I hope Ireland is at the cutting edge of this. Some scientists here are looking into it and can see it has enormous potential. I hope the Government gets behind it. We debated the Foreshore and Dumping at Sea (Amendment) Bill earlier. There are a million ways in which the Government can kick-start initiatives and this is one of them.

If I have done nothing else, I hope I have alerted Members to DME and the www.bluefuelenergy.com website. I look forward to speaking to Members about it again because they will be very surprised at what Ireland could do.