Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

Members of the public hear of Government commitments on overseas development aid, carbon tax and the 10,000 houses. Will the Taoiseach reiterate and assure the House beyond doubt that this commitment of 10,000 genuinely affordable houses will be delivered on, given some of the doubts in this regard that he has expressed in the past? It is somewhat forgiving of ICTU and other members of the social partnership to accept that the commitment is now watertight. Will he give the House the same commitment that it is watertight?

On carbon tax, will the Taoiseach again consider whether under Sustaining Progress there is a membership role in the partnership for environmental groups as this does not exist currently? On the basis of what the House knows he is not going to do in terms of carbon tax, will he indicate what he is going to do, something which may have been discussed with the social partners? For example, was the economic analysis on the abandonment of the carbon tax discussed with the social partners and how it would be costly to invest in carbon credits, or perhaps even give them away? The estimate of €50 million to €200 million has been given by a number of people who have analysed the cost to the country of the payment of carbon credits, the benefits of which are effectively given away to other countries. Will the Taoiseach say whether there have been any discussions on the economic implications of that with the social partners and whether he has given any commitment in this regard?

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