Martin Conway (Fine Gael)

I agree with my colleagues. The Minister of State is very welcome to the House. The greening of the corporate fleet is a good idea; there is no point in saying otherwise. However, elements of that which do not make sense should not happen. The car rental business is going to be decimated if this directive is introduced and if we are required to green all of our car rental industry. Car rental is particularly important in counties that the Senators raising this matter and Senator Kennelly are from, such as Kerry, Clare, Galway and Limerick. County Cork benefits as well. If that industry is decimated, it is going to have a negative effect on tourism in this country because people who rent a car tend to spend more money.They tend to go to places where the tours do not generally go. They tend to be out and about. They tend to go into villages and towns and, ultimately, create a better spread of the tourism spend. If we have a situation where that is no longer feasible, then we have a problem. When something does not make sense, it should not happen. I would encourage the Minister of State to engage in this and to clarify, as my colleague, Senator Kyne, said, whether this was a Government decision or a decision of a Minister on a solo run. Either way, it has to be reversed and clarity needs to be brought to it.