Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Taxation has an effect on behavioural change but people need to be provided with the changes and those are not in place. We supported the tax on sugar and sweetened drinks because there was an alternative. We support increased excise duty on tobacco products because there is an alternative. We do not support an increase in home heating oil, coal and petrol at this point in time because there is no alternative for the poorest in society and the Government will make them poorer, which will increase that pressure. I acknowledge what experts have said and that is why I argued that there is a pricing issue in most taxation that can effect behavioural change but that can only happen when the alternatives are available. I am also conscious of what the Minister does not mention about some of the experts, namely the question of who set up the Climate Leadership Council. Does he know who founded it?