John Gilroy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

My good friend Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill and many others in Fianna Fáil have during the past year raised the issue of subsidising renewable energy producers during times when they are not producing energy. The words "disgraceful behaviour" have been used by my colleagues in Fianna Fáil in this respect. I ask the Deputy Leader to arrange a debate on renewable energy and public subsidisation in general. I wonder if my colleagues also criticise so heavily the 1992 reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy, otherwise known as the "MacSharry reforms", which introduced a measure providing that 15% of all arable land be set aside and for payments to be received for not producing on this land. There is a social good in this regard in the same manner as there is a social good in subsidising capital investment in renewable energy production in the longer term. I ask the Deputy Leader to arrange a debate on the matter as called for by Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill.