Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am listening to the Deputy and will consider those mechanisms between now and Report Stage. I am thinking carefully about everything he has said. The sectoral division is not going to be on the basis of cost alone. That is what section 4 is about. There are many factors aside from cost in politics, as the Deputy knows. We must accord with people's values and there are other things that are harder to price. It is certainly not going to be decided on the basis of cost alone. That is why we consider all those other factors. The Deputy has said that he feels it will be a box-ticking exercise and I do not agree with that at all. It is only box-ticking if one has no interest in things such as complying with international rules, biodiversity protection and so on. If the Government and the Oireachtas believe in those things and hold them as important values, it is not box-ticking. Those are important criteria and cost will not be the sole deciding factor.