Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Both chapters 13 and 15 concern low carbon. I thank the witnesses for the outline and for being here today. The commission is recommending a reduction in fossil fuel subsidies on a phased basis and, at the same time, that carbon taxes are set out as planned. There will be options available to some people as regards public transport. Many others, however, will not have a public transport option available that will allow them to switch. The Connecting Ireland plan does not set out what bus services should be put in place for many communities near where I live, for example, Ballingeary, or capacity for the fairly densely populated Bride Valley that would allow people to get to and from work on public transport. That is not set out in the Connecting Ireland plan. I am trying to get an understanding of what alternatives will be available to households, such as those I mentioned, if that course of action is followed.

Similarly, many of these same houses or communities are dependent on home heating oil to run their homes. While people who live in them are very much in favour of moving towards more insulated buildings and more electric options, that is slow and expensive. There are clear alternatives with, for example, hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO, fuel, which quickly gives a carbon-neutral result.

However, taxation and the bias in respect of HVO seems almost to keep it away from home heating. I would be interested in Dr. Farrell's view on that. Could it be an option that would quickly switch people over to a carbon-neutral home heating option?