Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 449: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the steps he will take to claw back part of the €850 million worth of carbon credits that have been gifted to the cement industry at a cost to the taxpayer this year. [21143/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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No carbon credits have been allocated to the cement sector and no cost has been incurred by the Exchequer in this regard.

The process of allocating carbon allowances to Irish installations which fall within the scope of the current phase of the EU emissions trading scheme is provided for under the National Allocation Plan 2008-12. Under EU law, National Allocation Plans approved by the European Commission are final and ex-post adjustments by Member States are not permissible. Allowances to installations are underpinned by assigned amount units which Member States, as Parties listed in Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol, received free of charge. Consequently, no cost was incurred by the Exchequer in giving operational effect to the National Allocation Plan 2008-12.