Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I do not agree with the Deputy in this case. As he is aware, we have international commitments in regard to emissions and we must tackle this issue.

Living in rural Ireland, I see a wide range of possibilities for rural people to reduce their carbon emissions. First, it is much easier for a person in rural Ireland to install solar panels. Many of the houses, particularly one-off house, face in a southerly direction. Second, with the development of new technologies there is the possibility that small wind turbines will become viable in the future and so on. I see significant possibilities for people in rural Ireland to be very carbon efficient. They might pay a little extra for petrol but that will be offset by the possibility of using technologies because many people live on sites with space, which is not the case in the city.

On the idea of having a small turbine or any other device providing energy for one's house in rural Ireland, as the Deputy is aware, the Western Development Commission has done considerable work on wood energy as a source of energy in Ireland and because it is a renewable source of energy, it is not subject to carbon tax.

There are substantial possibilities if we have the creativeness to opt for them and use them. In fact, rural Ireland has a great capacity to reduce the impact of this tax by adopting all of the resources available.

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