Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

They work according to a standard UN formula when figuring out the life cycle. I am confident that as we establish these criteria in the European Union, there will be a clear analysis of the proper greenhouse gas effect.

I listened to Senator Ó Brolcháin with real interest. Like him, I am a child of the 1970s and also remember pushing the car to the petrol station. For me, this is the instigation behind these measures. I agree with his analysis about the impending peak in global oil production. We are not going to run out of oil immediately, but we will eventually. We need a small percentage of bio-fuels in the event of a very serious crash. We need something to guarantee our bus transport system or our agriculture system in a worst case scenario. Having a 5%-10% bio-fuel component or an alternative supply means that if the Middle East tap is turned off, we can at least run essential services. That has always been my instinct behind the support of the use of bio-fuels, even though there are environmental complexities to the matter. We should proceed on that security basis.

Senator Ó Brolcháin spoke about the potential to be achieed in respect of waste oil facilities to deal with the waste oil from the chippers in Galway. That presents a very significant opportunity for us. We can get up to a figure of about 2%-3% of our fuel supply from waste materials alone. The carbon reduction to be achieved from this is huge because we are dealing with a waste problem in respect of tallow, waste vegetable oil and other materials.

Regarding second generation bio-fuels, we have already started research via the Charles Parson energy research awards in the Department and an INTERREG BioMara analysis programme to examine where second generation fuel can be sourced from non-food supplies. That provides us with real potential. We need to do this owing to the possible effect on food markets. A few years ago I heard that instead of producing the the corn-based ethanol fuel required to fill an SUV one could provide sufficient corn to feed someone for a year. We must think about that trade-off. The slightly terrifying analysis of Senator Quinn is worth listening to in order to ensure we get the balance right. For security reasons, it is right for us to invest in this technology and have the obligation to allow it to be delivered.

Senator O'Malley's contribution, particularly in respect of the transport fleet switchover, was interesting. She asked if we could do it using biomass to produce electricity to run electric cars. A crucial component of what we are doing is the integration of the use of electric vehicles with bio-fuel strategy. If we get electric fleets up and running, it will reduce our vulnerability in terms of security and the level of bio-fuel obligations we must set. If we have a very high electricity component, that will count towards the achievement of our 10% European target. It will reduce the mandatory element in respect of bio-fuel production. Senator O'Toole raised the same question and asked whether we could set an obligation in terms of the use of electric cars. This is one of the leading countries in rolling out the new electric car technology.