Vol. 399 No. 10
104 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Energy if he will outline the plans he has to introduce renewable and non-polluting sources of energy into Ireland to replace the use of oil, coal, turf and gas, all of which contribute to the greenhouse effect.
My Department is monitoring developments in renewable energy and will always welcome proposals for introducing renewable energy projects into our energy supply system where technical and reliability criteria can be met and where it is economical to do so.
While these energy sources can make an increasingly useful contribution I do not expect that they will significantly replace fossil fuels in the immediate future. Other measures, such as conservation, increased use of natural gas and low sulphur coal and oil have important roles to play in mitigating environmental pollution.
