Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

I refer to the families losing income and employment, as the Government announces another budget that will consist of increased taxes. Deputy Mary White extolled the virtues of a carbon tax. Does that mean that this measure will be brought forward? The purpose of a carbon tax is to shift people from excessive consumption and carbon emissions and to recycle the revenue from tax into employment creation activities or reducing taxes on labour. The Government must spell out the following issue. Are we facing a carbon tax and what will it apply to?

This Government introduced a process of regulation in respect of energy. At the end of the process, with an expensively paid regulator, we have the dearest domestic electricity prices in Europe and, disastrously, some of the dearest prices for electricity to businesses and industry.

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