Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)

Amendment No. a1 refers to setting specific targets of 3.6 million Kyoto units per annum. I am offering the Minister some guidance, which he clearly needs, in terms of how to achieve this target. Rather than depending entirely on emissions trading, he should be specific. The amendment refers to a specific target. I urge the Minister to take this on board.

I support the amendment. I am steadfastly opposed to the Bill in its entirety because it ignores any other options and goes straight to the soft option which is making every taxpayer in the State pay for the sins of those huge, dirty industries that, unfortunately, are continuing to get away with it.

Deputy Cuffe gave an excellent example of Ecocem, a company that can operate in the current building boom where we are still using dinosaurs when there is a better way. Instead of incentivising those who are demonstrating a better way, we are closing the door on the environmentally friendly options. That is indicative of where the Bill is coming from and how it is structured. This is most unfortunate.

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