Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

We cannot do this on our own. Senator O'Toole is absolutely right. It must be a policy that is transparent and reported on in a sustainable way. This is only the starting point; we must see how it works. I am reassured by the fact that it was agreed by the Council of Ministers that it would be reviewed every two years from 2012, beginning with a report to the European Parliament on the sustainability criteria. We must be very sensitive to the effect of the development of bio-fuels, especially in developing countries. However, we have the opportunity to put in place measures that will support Irish farming and allow farmers to grow crops.

Senator Brady spoke about the recent announcement by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on the bioenergy support scheme. That scheme is clearly directed at the growing of miscanthus and willow, biomass energy crops, rather than crops for bio-fuels. While there will be connections down the line as we begin to turn organic waste crops into second generation bio-fuels, there is no connection as yet.

Several Senators spoke about NOX, nitrous oxide. The European measure of the greenhouse gas effect follows the standard UN definition; therefore, it includes the ratio of NOX, methane or carbon dioxide in the assessment.