Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I was surprised that the Minister, as a member of the Cabinet, allowed rural Ireland to be attacked in the form of carbon tax. This tax is a penalty on rural Ireland. We do not have Dublin Bus, Luas, other public transport or the infrastructure in rural Ireland.

Second Stage of the Finance Bill will be taken next week. I ask the Minister to contact the Minister for Finance. There should be an exemption for farmers from this tax in respect of home heating oil and diesel for farmers because this tax will impose great hardship on them. It will increase their costs and will have a major effect on rural families.

I know the Government is trying to keep the Green Party happy but it turned yellow when it let the Green Party Members get away with this. This tax is wrong. It is a tax on rural Ireland. Fine Gael is in favour of a carbon tax but there are better ways to do it than taxing people out of their livelihoods and making it more difficult for those living in rural Ireland. I am disappointed that the Minister allowed the Green Party Ministers to dictate policy on rural Ireland at the Cabinet table. We do not have the infrastructure or the services. People in rural Ireland need their cars. If they do not have a car, they cannot get from A to B. This is tax is just another revenue earner for the Government.

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