asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism if there are any revised plans for production of industrial alcohol from potatoes.
Ceisteanna—Questions . Oral Answers . - Industrial Alcohol .
23.
: Ceimicí Teoranta is the only company in the State which manufactures industrial alcohol. Although the company were set up in 1934 to provide an outlet for surplus potatoes, from their early days the supply of potatoes was insufficient to meet requirements. Sugar cane molasses eventually replaced potatoes as the raw material for alcohol production. The company have no plans at present for the production of industrial alcohol from potatoes but would be prepared to re-examine the matter if and when potatoes are available at an economic price and in sufficient quantities.
: Is the Minister serious when he says there were not sufficient potatoes available? Is it not the case that the price was insufficient to justify potatoes being used for that purpose? In the light of the new energy scarcity situation, have Ceimicí Teoranta any revised plans to utilise, even at a high price, the alcohol that could be produced from potatoes and which we have used as an admixture in petroleum?
: The company have found that it is impossible to get supplies of potatoes. In 1977 they made ready, at some expense, one factory to take in potatoes but could not get any. I do not see the prospects in this respect being very good.
: The Minister might bear in mind that it was not a question of non-availability of potatoes but that the price offered was not sufficient. This could be a very useful outlet for potatoes.
: If the normal market price is paid for potatoes, I presume some would be forthcoming, but the operation would be hopelessly uneconomic. As it is, using sugar cane molasses the present operation is not economic and it would be even more uneconomic if potatoes at the going price were used.
: The remaining questions will appear on next Wednesday's Order Paper.