Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps she is taking to ensure that the public good competitive research programme, the Research Stimulus Fund, is used presently to stimulate the development of plastic materials and chemical agents from plants such as wheat, sunflower, maize or beet; and if she will make a statement on the matter of a major UK supermarket chains introduction of plastic bags made solely from plant derived material. [3747/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The potential for plant derived plastics is something that is recognised both here in Ireland and at EU level. I am aware that some supermarket chains plan to use packaging materials from sustainable or recycled sources. This can only be good news for the consumer and the environment. It also represents good news for farmers as suppliers of raw materials.

My Department's public good competitive programme, the Research Stimulus Fund Programme, has placed significant emphasis on non-food land uses. In the past two years five projects in this theme area have been funded to the tune of €1.5 million. To date biological plastics have not featured in the Programme since no suitable research proposals in that area have been submitted for funding. However, in the recently published 7th EU Framework Programme on Research and Technological Development (FP7) in the theme area "Food, Agriculture and Fisheries and Biotechnology" the Commission included a specific project examining the conversion of biomass, agricultural by-products and waste into a diverse range of value products including, potentially, plastics from grass. The National Support Structures for FP7 in my Department are actively encouraging and assisting Irish Researchers wishing to participate in this Call. Furthermore, the development of expertise in the area will undoubtedly lead to the development of a research critical mass in Ireland and hopefully to the submission of a suitable Research Stimulus Project in the future.