Tánaiste Mary Harney today (Monday 24th May, 1999) launched the Irish Bioenergy Association - IrBEA in ENFO Offices, Andrew Street, Dublin.

Speaking at the launch the Tánaiste said "Ireland enjoys a very high, and very welcome level of economic growth. This growth brings challenges as well as opportunities. It must be sustainable, protecting and conserving the environmental resources upon which our future development and prosperity ultimately depends."

The Irish Bioenergy Association brings together a range of interests whose main concern is the potential use of renewable sources of fuel for energy. In an energy context, the terms "bioenergy" and "biomass" refer to the production of renewable energy from plants or the by-products of plants.

The Tánaiste said she "particularly welcomed the strong North/South dimension to the Association. Setting it up on a cross border basis acknowledges that protection of the environment is a matter of concern for all in this Island. In the interests of mutually beneficial economic development this has to become a focus of co-operative effort."

The Tánaiste added that "a Green Paper on Sustainable Energy is expected to be published shortly. It will address the need for the adaptation of an energy policy to promote, among other things, renewable energy, and all the forms of energy identified by the Association can be classed as renewable or sustainable energy."

The Tánaiste wished all involved in the Association "success in promoting and developing the necessary responses to some very important energy and environmental issues."