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

The Deputy made a variety of points. We have been upfront and honest. National Broadband Ireland attended the committee last week to share what is actually happening. These figures are not coming as a surprise. We have been clear about the fact that, due to Covid-related complications and other challenges with the national broadband plan, the changed target should not be a surprise. The committee debated it last week. Everything is being done to address that and to get ahead of targets again.

The carbon tax is not being siphoned off. For background to this issue, in the past week, the European Council made a decision. It has to be ratified by the European Parliament but I do not expect it will be blocked. The decision is that Europe will introduce a form of carbon tax in the transport and building sector. If we are not applying our carbon tax and increasing it in the way that we have committed to, then the funds would go away. We would not have the funds for retrofitting, social welfare increases and for farming. To my mind, that completely changes the debate on carbon tax, unless we want to buck the entire European system and say we are opting out of it, which I do not think we could legally do.