Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 163: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the research which has been carried out by or on behalf of her Department in regard to the use of sugar beet in the production of ethanol; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26173/05]

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 189: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the discussions she has had with other Departments and State agencies with a view to meeting the EU biofuels directive requiring Ireland to replace the 2% of petrol and diesel with renewable fuels by end of 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26465/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 211: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food her plans to encourage the production of crops for alternative energy with particular reference to the maximum use of the various products and by-products; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26483/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos 163, 189 and 211 together.

Promotion and development of renewable energy, including biofuels, in Ireland are matters in the first instance for the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. As matters stand, Irish Sugar Limited has arrangements in place to process the full Irish sugar quota at its Mallow plant, which has been upgraded for that purpose. The question of an alternative use for sugar beet does not, therefore, arise at present.

Following the introduction of the single farm 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. Nonetheless, factors such as the increasing cost of oil, the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the facility for farmers to explore alternative land uses following CAP reform, mean that the potential of this area must be fully explored.

For the purposes of contributing to the development of policy on biofuels, my Department, in conjunction with COFORD and Teagasc, has examined the potential of energy crops, wood biomass and farming and food by-products. The production of liquid biofuels from energy crops is not economic at current oil price levels. However, the scheme recently announced by the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources for mineral oil tax relief on pilot biofuel projects has stimulated the production of oilseed rape for biofuel.

The exploitation of wood resources for energy purposes, mainly for heat or electricity generation, offers significant potential. There are also significant opportunities for using by-products of farming and food processing for bioenergy purposes. Approximately 140,000 tonnes of meat and bone meal is produced annually and its use in place of fossil fuels could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 19%.

Teagasc, which has responsibility for the provision of research and advisory services for the agri-food sector, has done some very valuable research on energy crops. I am anxious to encourage further research in this area and I 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.