Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 290: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress which has been made to date in 2005 in respect of the planned agreement regarding the reduction of greenhouse gases under the national climate change strategy between the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, his Department, and the cement industry to ensure that the reductions in emissions achieved are at the global benchmark for industry best practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37174/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In the context of the potential reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from the cement sector, companies within the sector are now covered by the EU emissions trading scheme and participating installations are expected to reduce emissions according to the provisions of the scheme.

A report commissioned by my Department and published in February 2004, determining the share of national greenhouse gas emissions for emissions trading in Ireland, outlined a range of cost-effective abatement options available to sectors covered by the EU scheme. For the cement sector such options include fuel switching and process substitution. It is, however, a matter for individual installations to achieve emission reductions in the most cost-effective manner available to them. My Department is engaged in discussions with the cement sector on possible measures to facilitate the more widespread use of lower clinker content cement in the Irish market.