Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I understand that. Notwithstanding some of the views expressed, DART expansion, MetroLink and BusConnects are important. The strategic park and ride facilities are also important. It is not correct to say that there is not already huge investment in public transport, which is very welcome. I am happy to take everybody's point of view but as a committee we need to hold the Minister and the transport bodies accountable to us in order to get those policy shifts and changes. Today's contributions are very helpful in that regard.

Returning to the farmers and the freight operators, this is where the push-back is going to come from because their costs will increase and it will not be as easy for these them to sell their product abroad because it will be more expensive. We need to provide for a benefit to them, economically, from this change, either through supporting the physical transport infrastructure or through taxation measures. Tax policy was mentioned. It can be constructive to bring about change. I would welcome the witnesses views on that point because I think that is a huge part of the argument. Of the 20% of CO2 that comes from transport how does that breakdown between farming and so on? Is it possible to breakdown that 20% in terms of the origin of the CO2 emissions? Do the witnesses have a pie chart which we could look at that provides that information?

The witnesses spoke about the people who will be most affected as being those people who are going to be most economically affected. Is that not the truth of it? Also, our economy will be affected if we do not get this right.