Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)

Last week in Buswells Hotel we met representatives of road haulage firms. They outlined a number of areas which they feared would have a significant impact on their industry, one being a carbon tax increase. They outlined a number of areas where money could be chased, with one being diesel laundering where there is much money being lost to the State. Another idea was to use a new method to harmonise the discrepancies between the two types of diesel, and there is potential for savings in that regard too.

These are two areas with potential savings which could be utilised in preference to punitive tax on people which will affect everybody. How much of this tax will be used for environmental purposes? Will the tax be put in central funding or will it be used to implement environmental policy? We have been told that in the past that has not been the case. We are all in favour of cutting carbon emissions but will all the money be used in that area?

See this speech in context