Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Ms Bean put it well in the sense that it is not just her Department that has this attitude about whether we should be leaders. I find that incredible in a country that is falling behind on climate change. That attitude, unfortunately, is apparent in most Departments. The core of the problem is a lack of ambition. This is also the case in the ESRI and the ESB. The ESB made a presentation to the Committee on Budgetary Oversight in which its representatives effectively said we should not lead. That is a mistake.

Nobody should be allowed to drive in bus lanes because buses are also working toward our climate targets. Something needs to be done in budget 2018 because our climate target negotiations will be going on in Brussels over the next few months. They have us over a barrel because we are the laggards in Europe. There should be a transformation in the priority for investment in low-carbon technology in the next budget.

Deputy Dooley mentioned the Department of Finance, which is part of the problem. Officials see a loss in future excise revenues on fuel as part of this equation. One of the committee's recommendations should be that the tax strategy committee in conjunction with the CER examine the implications for tax revenues of switching off fossil fuels because that is part of the equation we have to take into account in making the switch.