Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 52: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if it will be possible to allocate some of the €50 million carbon credit fund for investment in on-farm energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22011/10]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 53: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if it will be possible to allocate some of the €50 million carbon credit fund for investment in on-farm energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22064/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 53 together.

Under the Carbon Fund Act 2007, a carbon fund mechanism was established to facilitate the purchase of carbon units and the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) was designated as purchasing agent for the State. The cost of carbon units purchased under this mechanism is met by the NTMA from the Central Fund and each drawdown must be reimbursed to the Central Fund in the following year. Provision for such refunds is made in the annual Vote of my Department under subhead D4 and payments from that subhead may only be made for that purpose. As all expenditure incurred by the NTMA in making purchases up to the end of 2009 has been recouped by my Department, there is no surplus under subhead D.4.