Row over tax credits as Oireachtas Committee plan to quadruple carbon taxes
TDs are locked in a blame game over delays in proposing climate change mitigation measures which include proposals to quadruple carbon taxes for households.
A committee report next week will propose a blueprint for new emissions targets and a multi-annual carbon budget.
The Oireachtas Committee on Climate Change will propose increasing carbon taxes from €20 to €80 a tonne by 2030 and for a five-year ring-fenced carbon budget. New emissions targets should also be agreed by 2030, TDs will say.
However, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are in a row over the idea of tax credits and giving households back money if they reduce their emissions or carbon output.
Monies raised from increased carbon taxation could go towards a new climate change fund, which would help retrofits of facilities or homes or could help companies that must alter their emissions, committee sources said.
Timmy Dooley of Fianna Fáil rejects suggestions that his party is to blame for a delay in the committee agreeing final recommendations for the 80-page report. Mr Dooley claims the Fine Gael-led government is trying to “spin” the message about climate change reduction measures and “rush” through its own agenda.
“There is no row. Fine Gael are trying to push the report through quickly. We have been with it every step of the way and agree with pretty much with everything. We all need to get buy-in on this. It seems It seems Fine Gael, at government level, is trying to push the committee to get to a final position more quickly.
There is an effort by the Government to dumb down recommendations of the committee. They are rushing this through. But we won't be fit into the Fine Gael PR spin machine here,” he said.
However, Fine Gael TD Pat Deering laid blame for delays in agreeing the report with Fianna Fáil: “The feeling is within our group, that Fianna Fáil are trying to delay [this], to get beyond the local elections for their own political gain. More carbon tax could have a negative effect on their voters. We totally dispute we are rushing this through. We have been dealing with this since last June and there has been forensic analysis the last couple of weeks."
Fianna Fail TDs will discuss the climate change report recommendations at their parliamentary party meeting today while committee members will also meet about it.
