Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

There seems to be a grave reluctance on the part of the Department to discuss carbon tax, although the Minister answered our questions on this issue during yesterday's Question Time. I cannot think of anything more important for the Department of Social Protection to do than to carry out reviews on the implications of budgetary decisions for social welfare recipients. I ask the Minister to reconsider this issue. There was a commitment some years ago that every decision made by Government would be subject to a poverty impact assessment. There is a pressing requirement for the implementation of the carbon tax to be poverty proofed.

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