Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

This is my first official opportunity to congratulate the Minister on his appointment and to wish him well.

I accept the Minister's point that this is a cross-cutting issue but it has specific relevance for tourism. Does the Minister agree that the introduction of any tax on aviation fuel, including carbon trading taxes, has serious implications for Ireland? There are no available alternatives so that a tax on aviation fuel can only reduce air travel into Ireland. Does the Minister agree that such an objective is not consistent with other national objectives and that we need a debate on the broader topic of taxes? The Minister remarked that it is the least harmful of taxes. If a direct carbon tax, which I understand is also being considered, is raised at EU level, I ask the Minister that we at least have a national debate on what we want to achieve. Carbon taxes on aviation can only reduce travel into Ireland. As well as affecting tourism, it will affect trade, compound our disadvantage as an island nation, increase the isolating effect of living on an island and erode many of the benefits we have derived in recent years from increased air travel into and out of Ireland.

Will the Minister talk to his colleagues with responsibility for transport and energy? As Irish tourism depends largely on the North American market and because the European land mass is very small, this measure will militate particularly against Ireland and could work to the advantage of countries such as Norway and Switzerland which are not in the EU and will not be subject to the tax. In the context of the open skies policy, it is critical that we are alert to the major competitive issues for Ireland. I ask the Minister to keep those things in mind.

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