Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

The reasons behind my tabling these amendments were based on dealing with the jobs crisis by creating jobs at bio-fuel producer and post-producer level and achieving a reduction in carbon emissions to keep in line with our Kyoto Protocol and EU requirements. We won the arguments and the Minister of State has accepted them. However, it is disappointing that he cannot accept the amendments. I am sure the ordering of business in the House could facilitate the Government in sponsoring the amendments and tabling them on Report Stage in the Seanad. Why must it wait until Report Stage in the Dáil?

It is vital this legislation contains a specific commitment to job creation. I agree with colleagues that it is a disgrace there are no members of the media present for this debate which is of such critical importance that the young unemployed people need to hear it on radio and television. People outside the House will wonder to what degree our deliberations contribute to job creation. They are not interested in grandstanding or rhetoric; they want practical steps to job creation.

The amendments only aim to create nothing but a level playing pitch by protecting the indigenous bio-fuel industry. In doing so we would be sustaining and creating new jobs. There can be no higher objective for this legislative assembly when 437,000 citizens are without work. That is why I am asking that the amendments be accepted on Report Stage in the Seanad.

The United Kingdom imports 89% of its bio-fuel, a figure it will want to correct. Any bilateral agreement should achieve this. It cannot be repeated often enough that by virtue of importing bio-fuels, the Minister is creating more carbon emissions and failing to resolve the international problem as attempted by this legislation. It is self-destructive. It is bizarre and crazy that the Minister is attempting to reduce carbon emissions through this 4% obligation. In the structuring of the obligation in this legislation, the Minister continues to acquiesce to bio-fuels being imported from Brazil and elsewhere to Ireland, which will obviously generate carbon emissions. This defeats the objectives of the Kyoto Protocol and the objectives of the Copenhagen agreement when transferred into legislative format. It also defeats domestic commitments. Without attempting to be unnecessarily partisan, it is bizarre that such a proposal comes from a Green Party Minister.

Progress reported; Committee to sit again.