Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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It is not a question of penalising them. People who are burning coal, turf or oil are creating environmental damage for which everyone in the globe must pay. By saying a price will be put on the damage that is done, we are following a long-established principle. People would understand this if the carbon being emitted was visible as a huge plume of smoke and we could see it. Let us suppose I said to the Deputy that he was going to have to stop producing it or that if he was going to continue producing it, then he would have to pay for it. Since carbon is not visible in that way, we do not see the damage. It is more difficult for people to say that they are doing damage because they do not see it and it is not visible, but it is happening.