Liam Twomey (Fine Gael)

This is a difficult issue and I had hoped we could pass the Bill without a division but the Minister of State should clarify this for wholesalers.

Separately, I refer to the carbon tax. County Wexford has significant industries and a major hospital but they have no access to natural gas. However, they will be hit with a carbon tax, which will mean they will be unable to compete with companies in Dublin and Cork which have access. The Government is placing an additional burden on significant industries in County Wexford. No allowance has been made for the fact that they cannot use natural gas as an alternative. Bord Gáis does not supply the county even though the company in a report about the energy requirement of County Wexford to justify bringing natural gas there highlighted that in Wexford town a few companies such as Nutrena, Celtic Linen, Wexford Creameries and the hospital on their own use twice the energy Bord Gáis set as its threshold to supply the county. This has not been mentioned.