John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

If people are using lightbulbs to heat their houses, that represents a very inefficient use of a lightbulb. The calculations I received are from reliable people in Sustainable Energy Ireland who have done much work in this area and I will call on them again when we set up the consultative group. I am convinced about the value of this initiative. I spoke to my counterparts, including Hilary Benn and others, last week and to those in Greenpeace in Europe who are impressed that Ireland is leading the way in introducing this initiative. We led the way in introducing the plastic bag levy and the smoking ban. Those in Greenpeace have said to me that this is a fantastic opportunity for Ireland to also lead the way in terms of sustainability. I am proud to be part of a Government that will bring forward this initiative. While it is the role of the Opposition to put a damper on and be critical of proposals——

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