Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and congratulate her on the great work she is doing with the Taoiseach on behalf of our country in Europe. The Taoiseach was awarded the title European Person of the Year.

Five committees from three main political groups will visit from the EU. I had the privilege of speaking in Brussels at a large conference on renewable energy. A Senator mentioned the issue of energy. Through the auspices of the Seanad and with the help of the Leader, I used that occasion to ensure the conference would be held in Ireland during our Presidency. The office of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, has given its approval. According to the Minister, the event certainly appeared to fall under the category of events that Ireland would be delighted to be associated with during the Presidency and he would be happy to ask the Presidency co-ordination unit to request formal approval from the Taoiseach. The Taoiseach has given me his verbal approval and I am awaiting formal acknowledgement. I also thank the Minister of State, who will afford me her help following my mention of the conference last week. The conference organiser, the European Forum for Renewable Energy Sources, EUFORES, is funded by the EU and will not be seeking funding from Ireland. I will not go into the detail of how important renewable energy is to Ireland. Perhaps the Leader, someone from the Minister's office, someone the Minister of State recommends and I could meet those groups to tie everything together. This is a bottom-up conference from the Seanad, as it were. I suppose as this is the Upper House, maybe it is from the top down.