Ms Issy Petrie:

In respect of just transition, we believe it is really important that from the outset, the principle that the poorest do not end up paying the most for the transition and are protected from the costs of transition as far as possible is recognised. In terms of the carbon tax, it is important that the fuel allowance, which is used to balance out that additional cost, reaches all those who need it - those on the working family payment and jobseeker's payments for less than a year. We also think there is a strong argument for exploring the feasibility of a social energy tariff and how that would work in the Irish market. There are many different forms that could take and that would need to be looked into. It involves the different implications of the different options but removing the costs of environmental taxes and levies from those in energy poverty and those on the lowest incomes would be an option for lifting the weight of the carbon tax. The PSO levy offers a way for those who simply do not have room in their budgets for their energy costs to keep incrementally going up and up as we transition to green energy, which is so important and brings a lot of opportunities. The principle that the poorest do not pay the most for it needs to be embedded in that transition.