Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Action is meeting today and tomorrow to sign off on its report which is due to be published on Thursday. The Taoiseach, Fine Gael and its partners in Fianna Fáil support increasing carbon taxes and it is almost certain that that recommendation will feature in the committee's report. Regardless, the Taoiseach has indicated that it is, in effect, Government policy. At the weekend he said increasing carbon taxes was on the table for inclusion in the October budget and that increases would be in line with the committee's recommendation of €80 per tonne, or four times the current level.

Climate change is a massive problem. It is perhaps the defining challenge of our generation. There is an all of society acceptance that IT must be tackled and that we are already way behind where we need to be in tackling the issue effectively. The way to fight climate change is not to penalise ordinary families and working people by increasing their fuel costs or utility bills. That is not something Sinn Féin will support. We will not support any increase in carbon tax that will not protect low and middle income earners and ensure the big polluters will carry their responsibilities and pay their way. We already have very high fuel and energy costs in this state and the current carbon tax has not lowered emissions levels. Carbon emissions have, in fact, increased and loading another layer of cost and tax on ordinary people will not change behaviour, yet the Government seems intent on pursuing this course of action. Unless it puts measures in place to give families alternatives, a carbon tax is just a punitive tax and must absolutely be opposed. The Taoiseach should be aware that there are families who are at the pin of their collar. They are just about getting by and should not have to pay the price because of the actions of big corporate polluters. I hope the Taoiseach agrees with that sentiment. We need to see climate change tackled in a progressive way that will combine social justice and fairness with the obvious environmental demands. People need to be able to switch to alternatives. That means that we need a comprehensive retrofitting programme. People need to be able to switch to heat pumps easily, make the change to electric vehicles in a cost effective way and avail of microgeneration. We also need real investment in public transport.

The type of carbon tax the Government is proposing is not the solution. It would be ineffective, regressive and only creates the illusion of action. Can the Taoiseach accept that, as currently devised, the Government's carbon tax plan will impact disproportionately on low and middle income families who cannot afford to switch to electric cars and make their homes more fuel efficient? Will he accept that this approach is wrong and commit to going back to the drawing board and scrapping the Government's regressive and out of touch proposals?

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