Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

We are required by the UN sustainability goals to tackle climate change and prevent poverty at the same time. We are not doing that with this measure.

The Government has talked about cross-party support. The reality is that the Government has failed to produce the review of energy poverty which was requested by the all-party Oireachtas committee. What the Minister announced today in terms of so-called mitigating measures will only assist one fifth of households in this country because that is how many receive the fuel allowance.

The objective of any carbon tax should be to achieve a change in behaviour but, particularly when it comes to home heating, many people cannot change their behaviour because of the way in which the grant scheme is structured.

I ask the Minister to answer the following. VAT on carbon tax will apply to public transport. Will this result-----

See this speech in context