Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy White. I also welcome the fact that we are having this debate. In recent years the Seanad has had many opportunities to discuss this matter of great importance. It is disappointing, however, that the rate of progress has not been greater.

The country is at a low ebb economically. We used these types of debate to focus on the possibility of Ireland becoming a market leader and a world leader in the development of alternative energy and to put policies in place, moving from debate into action.

I have read a good deal about the Spirit of Ireland group. Unfortunately, I could not attend any of the presentations, but it seems futuristic. We have debated these issues in the House on a number of occasions, however, and it is time to move from theory into practice to see whether it can be done. The whole issue of renewable energy is a broad spectrum debate from an Irish perspective. One size does not fit all , and we should take this on board. There must be opportunities for wind and wave power, while clearly there are opportunities for energy crops to be grown. In that regard I remind the Minister of State, Deputy White, of the up-to-date position on the sugar industry, while acknowledging that she was very involved in the debate at the conclusion of the sugar beet industry in Ireland at the time of the Carlow plant closure and at the subsequent tragic closure of the Mallow plant. She debated very publicly on that occasion on the opportunity of developing bio-fuel, ethanol in particular, from energy crops.

Again, there was a debate and a certain degree of consultation, with various groups offering to progress these ideas, yet they came to naught. If we have learned anything from all the debates on alternative energy in this country, it is that we must try to move from talk into action. We have discussed all the options on numerous occasions, but we must now get the job under way. From a local perspective, I am sure I am pushing an open door in asking the Minister of State to reflect on the matter of the sugar beet industry. We saw the recent report from the EU Court of Auditors to the effect that the European Commission might well have erred and certainly used inaccurate figures in the decision-making process that led to the closure of Mallow and the end of sugar beet processing in Ireland.

We must now aim high in this country. We have to set high ambitions for Ireland. We may be down but we are not out. If the impoverished Irish State of the 1920s comprising a new country emerging from the War of Independence and the Civil War was able to have the vision, courage and determination to dream the dream of setting up the sugar industry and start the process of creating four sugar beet plants throughout the country, surely in our modern and more advanced Ireland we can dream similar dreams but put them into reality. That should not be beyond the bounds of our collective endeavours to decide that there could and should be a sugar industry in Ireland with a plant not just producing sugar for commercial and domestic consumption but also power, electricity and heat, processing not just sugar but also wheat, potatoes and other crops. The plant could be a year-round centre of food production and renewable energy.

We discussed this matter in the House last week and the Minister of State's party colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Cuffe, responded to me. I placed a formal motion before the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food yesterday and received the support of my colleagues to the effect that we, as a joint committee, should communicate with all the relevant stakeholders, the Government and the European Commission to start the initiative towards regenerating a sugar beet industry in Ireland. We must set that level of ambition. We could all decide to go around with a permanent look of doom and gloom, saying the country is shut down, the curtains are drawn in Ireland and there is no future. That is one option. Another is to look at the plus side, at our advantages and opportunities and to avail of them.

The debate we are having on the energy potential of renewable crops and energy is one of the steps we can take forward. I presume no country in Europe, if not the world, is better placed than Ireland to take advantage of wind or wave energy or some of the renewable crops that may be grown for fuel and energy purposes. We take so long from regulation, bureaucracy and planning viewpoints to put words into action, however, and that is a big hindrance to our economy and development as a country. Planning applications often can take up to 12 months instead of the statutory two-month period, then An Bord Pleanála appeals can take another 12 months, not to mention to the court challenges. We must try to ease some of those blockages and ensure plans on paper can be turned into reality within a reasonable period.

We have had the debate about wind and wave energy as well as combined heat and power plants, miscanthus and other energy crops, the sugar crop, ethanol, bio-fuel. etc. but we have not had the action. It is to be presumed the Government is nearing its end, within weeks or months if the commentariat is correct, but the cause of the country continues. Some Administration will replace the present Government within a number of weeks or months, but it will have to face the same problems in the event. Energy and energy security will be one of those problems. One of the opportunities arising is the development of renewable and alternative energy. If the Minister of State and her colleagues did nothing further in the next few weeks but concentrate on how to move these plans into action, that would be a very good parting shot. We are all in this together. An enormous energy crisis faces this country, the Continent and the globe. We have the potential in this small country to play a major disproportionate role in the production of energy crops and renewable energy, and we must get on with the job, stop the talking and begin the action.