Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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68. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has given consideration to the application by Board Na Móna to purchase a wood pellet factory in Georgia; and the way in which the government would reach a decision on such an investment. [41897/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Bord na Móna is a commercial State company operating under the Turf Development Acts, 1946 to 1998. The matter raised by the Deputy is operational in nature and not one in which I, as Minister, have any direct function. Nevertheless, as Minister with responsibility for Bord na Móna, I am aware of the proposed plans to construct a biomass facility in the United States. I wish to advise the Deputy that an investment of this nature by Bord na Móna is subject to Ministerial approval from both myself and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform as the shareholding Ministers.  Any request for Ministerial consent would be subject to detailed financial analysis by NewERA and policy analysis by the shareholding Departments. At this juncture, there has been no formal request for Ministerial consent in respect of this project.