Mr. Brian Carroll:

The carbon tax that was collected to date went into the general base of Exchequer expenditure. I am not in a position, in terms of carbon tax receipts to date, to explain where that money was spent. What I can say is that in terms of increases in the carbon tax expenditure, and the first was in the budget of this year - it was a €6 increase - the money generated by that increase is very clearly ring-fenced for climate action activity. The figure was €90 million in total for next year. That is broken down in terms of protecting the vulnerable, with €21 million towards the fuel allowance; efficiency upgrades, €13 million; €20 million for the midlands to retrofit social housing; €5 million for peatlands rehabilitation; and €6 million for the Just Transition Fund. There are other allocations for greenways: urban cycling, €9 million; electric vehicles, €8 million; further investment in electric vehicle, EV, charging infrastructure, €3 million; the Green Climate Fund for overseas development aid, €2 million; and green agricultural pilot schemes, €3 million. The €90 million that is coming from the €6 increase is fully accounted for in terms of climate mitigation expenditure. Prior to the increase this year, receipts went into general revenue receipts and formed part of the general expenditure base.