Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 408: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the total acreage of alternative fuel crops grown to date in 2005; her plans to encourage greater participation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26771/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The total area applied for under the energy crops scheme in 2005 is 1,390 hectares, while the total area for non-food crops grown on set-aside land is 875 hectares. Following the introduction of the single payment scheme, the production of crops for energy purposes will, in common with all agricultural production in future, be demand-driven. Farmers will only produce crops for bioenergy if the economic returns are greater than those offered by more traditional uses. The production of liquid biofuels from energy crops is not economic at current oil price levels. However, the scheme for mineral oil tax relief on pilot biofuel projects recently announced by my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, is important in stimulating the production of energy crops, as the current payment under the single payment scheme for that purpose in itself is insufficient. Teagasc, which has responsibility for the provision of research and advisory services for the agrifood sector, has done some very valuable work on energy crops. I am anxious to encourage further progress in this area and have arranged for research projects on biofuels and other non-food uses of crops to be included in the latest call under my Department's research stimulus programme.