Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

These increases are substantial, on top of the high cost of fuel and energy. This decision has been taken without looking at all the international evidence or even a cross section of it. It was based on selective information. We have examined what has happened in other countries which have a carbon tax and some that do not. We have had a carbon tax since 2010, and apart from the recession between 2010 and 2015 when the country almost closed down and there was a slight reduction in emissions, there has been no decrease in emissions.

We brought forward a document last year, Powering Ireland 2030, which was based on a year's research carried out by people working for us, talking to experts and anybody to whom we could talk in the industry. It set out a way of powering the 32 counties of Ireland by 2030. It would have meant an 80% switch to renewable energy sources. Members will note that in the report - we have fought hard to get it in - there would be a 70% switch to renewable energy sources by 2030. It is good that it is included. We obviously argued for a figure of 80%. There is a lot of good stuff in the report which contains nine chapters. We are very happy with the measures across them, but we must change the way we generate power because, more and more, heating systems will be electrified. Therefore, we will need more electricity. More and more transport services will be electrified also, but we cannot simply think we can drive around in what look like nice eco-friendly electric vehicles powered by electricity supplied from fossil fuel or nuclear power plants in England via a cable across the Irish Sea. We are in favour of the interconnector, but we need to generate power on this island from clean sources of energy. Many expert groups have set out a vision for how this can be done. We have tapped into it and believe the committee's document would go some way towards doing so, which is welcome, but we cannot simply put a carbon tax on people without a shift in the way of how we generate power, heat our homes and move about and without making it easier to cycle and use public transport and having a good network of charging points, including in rural Ireland, to enable people to use electric vehicles. If the Government simply levies this tax, all that it will do is crucify middle and low income households and particularly small businesses.