Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

Over the past couple of years the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has sternly advocated the polluter pays policy of the Government. However, we have now learned that he has allowed large industries, which produce enormous quantities of greenhouse gases, to avoid paying pollution penalties. How can the Minister justify his support for the polluter pays policy, when he allows large industries, such as cement, fertiliser and chemical companies and the ESB, to avoid paying the levies for producing greenhouse gases? It is worrying that IBEC supports the Minister and has requested a continuation of the status quo in the interest of competitiveness. Perhaps the Leader could ask the Minister to come into the House to explain such inconsistency. The citizens must pay severe levies for small amounts of pollution, yet the Minister is allowing large industries to avoid paying the required levies.