Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish to flag another issue to throw into that mix. I know the Department of Finance came out with a report in the summer, stating the revenue should not be given back in a dividend or cash back. I suppose the Department would say that, in terms of asking whether a fox wants a hen house open or not, of course the fox does. The Department wants that revenue, even if it is hypothecated for expenditure on energy efficiency and other measures; it knows we have a massive budget requirement in that regard so by not giving it back as a dividend, it will help their general Exchequer position. Let me put the other political argument in favour of why we should pay a dividend. It is because of the political reason that it builds public support among every section of society. We were going to ask everybody to take part in helping this by giving it back as cash back payment, it fundamentally assists us in actually getting everybody on board. That is a political reason that the Department of Finance could not possibly measure or gauge but it still exists.