Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will tell the Minister the plan. There are four points. HVO is fossil fuel free heating because it is made from a waste. It should have a zero rate of carbon tax, zero duty and a VAT rate of 5% applied to it, if the Government is serious about climate issues in rural Ireland. It is not a fossil fuel, so why are we taxing it as such for heating? That is a good point. The Government should implement that. The Government can also show how serious it is about the climate issue by extending the biofuel obligations scheme to include HVO. That is sensible and it should do that. The Government should work with Irish companies such as Firebird Heating Solutions, Kingspan and Grant to agree a joint plan to make Ireland the world leader in this fossil fuel-free liquid heating and create even more jobs for rural communities. We are already leaders in liquid fuel central heating, as I outlined. Irish industry is ready, willing and able to deliver fossil-free heating to rural areas and has been for years. The Government has been very slow to show that it is willing to engage with it. I am not asking the Minister but pleading with him to listen to common sense for once in his life by listening to what I have just said. I ask him to implement this proposal. At least he would be showing he is awake and listening to somebody making a sensible point.

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