Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree. I am from a construction background. I was around at the time of the implementation of the first energy performance of buildings directive. I am thinking about all the knock-on effects it will have in the context of retrofitting and new builds. Those kinds of policies reverberate through the industry very quickly.

On the issue of what has been called a carbon border, the idea is that Europe will be a leader. We do not want that to be undermined by high-carbon products coming from the outside. I am in favour of that in principle, but I wonder whether there are equity issues in how we trade with people outside Europe.