Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

It is, however, obviously, Government policy. In September the Government agreed with a proposal to increase gas and electricity prices. Why? To get more money in VAT and to make provision for carbon trading.

It was a case of jacking up the price of electricity and gas to pay for carbon trading. This should have been funded instead by developing the alternative energy industry. They were also concerned at the possibility of European Commission fines which can be hefty and much more serious than carbon trading. If the Government did not embark on the carbon trading it would be forced to pay the fines at some stage, substantially in excess of the amounts raised in the increased price of gas and electricity and substantially in excess of any amount likely to be invested from now on in the alternative energy sector.

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