Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

This is appalling in view of all that has happened in the past six to 12 months with regard to climate change and all the signs that urgent action is needed to control and modify the effects of industrial capitalism and the hunt for profit at the expense of our environment and resources. We need to curb, control and change this, yet the committee has met only once. Is it not the reality that just about the only policy the Government could trot out on climate change was to increase the price of petrol? That sums it up. Is this not lazy and unimaginative and imposing hardship on people who need their cars for work? Is it not clear that we need proactive policies and investment to structurally reduce emissions and pollution in the economy? I suggest to the Taoiseach, notwithstanding his attempt to deride rather than to answer serious points from the socialists in Parliament, that a programme of retrofitting homes throughout the country with regard to energy saving insulation and water saving measures should be undertaken to be financed by a 1% emergency tax on the wealthiest 1% or 5% which would raise €2.9 billion. This could create 60,000 to 70,000 jobs for such projects. Is this not a constructive proposal, but one which the Taoiseach will not entertain because it would affect the wealthy supporters of his party and his ideology and he will not afflict them as opposed to afflicting the working class and the poor?

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