Dr. Kelly de Bruin:

I thank the Deputy for those very detailed questions. First, I would like to accentuate that our model only looks at the policy of carbon taxation; it does not include other policies that would also be needed to help people to switch. For example, we do not look at subsidies or the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland grants to help people to switch to low-carbon alternatives. Our model looks at a baseline. We do not look at people switching to new technologies; we look at them making relatively easy switches. These will result in a 16% reduction in emissions. The latter will not be from one year to the next; it will happen over the next eight years. It is a gradual reduction.

I agree that is very hard for people to switch. That is part of it. Policies need to be in place to help people to switch in order that we might achieve a more significant reduction in emissions. The 16% reduction is what we will only get with the carbon taxation and not with additional possible policies to help people switch to more sustainable choices.

On the impact-----