Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the issue of the Government's carbon tax mismanagement. Billions of euro have been collected and millions of euro wasted. The C and AG report, which the Tánaiste drew on just minutes ago, reveals that 39% of carbon tax funds are misallocated. I am very concerned about the Government's handling of carbon tax funds and the allocation of the €2.872 billion collected from 2020 to 2023. Of the €1.36 billion allocated from the increases in the tax between 2020 and 2023, a staggering 39%, amounting to €530 million, remains unaccounted for in the target areas. This glaring shortfall is a clear indication that the Government is not only failing to deliver on its promises to improve home efficiency and spend carbon tax funds in a manner that enhances renewable energy and the environment, but it is also misleading the public about the true use of these funds. Where has the rest of the money gone? This is not chicken feed; this is €530 million.

This mismanagement is not just about financial oversight; this represents a profound breach of public trust and a reckless disregard for the urgent need to address climate change effectively. The people of Ireland deserve transparency and accountability, not empty promises and squandered resources. The Government has legislated for the carbon tax to increase incrementally each year until it reaches €100 per tonne by 2030, which will continue to drive up the cost of living for everyone. Last week, Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Green Party increased the price of petrol and diesel as the tax reached €63.50 per tonne. I must also point to the rapid increase in carbon tax receipts, which have nearly doubled from €494 million in 2020 to €935 million in 2023. Well over €1 billion will be collected this year but the Government has neither a strategy or a plan to effectively use these funds in a meaningful way that supports key sectors, such as farmers or homeowners. Instead, these funds are being used to prop up a dysfunctional system. That is a fact. As I said, this is not chicken feed. It is massive money. It is a con job.

The Economic and Social Research Institute, which the Tánaiste always quotes, projects a potential contraction of real GDP by 1.4% by 2030 due to these tax increases, along with higher energy costs affecting all householders. This is why the Rural Independent Group has consistently campaigned against this unfair and costly tax. Will the Tánaiste explain where the €530 million has gone? It was supposed to be spent. Every time we ask a question in the House or table a written question, we get the same answer, namely, it has been spent on retrofitting. People are waiting two years to get a visit from the SEAI to upgrade their homes. This is the greatest con and the Government has been found out. These are not my figures but the figures that have been provided. The €530 million that has been taken from the people has not been given back.

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