Am I to understand from the Minister's reply that the biomass programme will take four or five years and up to eight years to evaluate? Does the Minister anticipate that at the end of that time a decision will be made as to whether we should go into it on a large commercial scale?

The demonstration programme will not be completed for quite some time and we will not have the full results until towards the end of this decade.

I understood the Minister to say that the short-term rotation was four to five years, while the longest term mentioned was eight years. Does he not feel that short-term rotation could be evaluated after four or five years?

That would be a partial evaluation of the short rotation single stem conifers on virgin bog at Bangor Erris and Sheskin. The coppiced species can be harvested four or five years after planting. The first crop which the ESB have planted should be available in 1984. However, a complete evaluation will take longer than that.

Has any progress been reported from Canada or Sweden, who are jointly involved in research into biomass under the International Energy Agency?

I have not that information in my file. The agencies of State involved are the Forestry and Wildlife Service, Bord na Móna and the Electricity Supply Board.