84. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment in light of the recently announced suspension of the carbon tax increase, the way in which he plans to make up the shortfall in funding allocated in budget 2026 to the SEAI for home energy upgrade schemes, and to just transition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27884/26]

Sentiment score: 0.23

There were any number of interventions that we felt that the Government could have made to alleviate and reduce the cost of fuel for hauliers, farmers and everyone else. It is very disappointing that the one climate-friendly measure here has been undermined, and that the Government has chosen to jettison this over other subsidies, direct payments and excise cuts. These are all measures that we want to support. Our fear here is that the Government has deferred this amount and it was scheduled to come on in May because, as it was put in the budget, the increase on home heating fuels will take place in May, after the winter heating season. It has now been deferred to the winter. The fear is over whether it will be deferred again. Is it realistic to think that the Government is going to implement it in October as people are filling up their tanks again?

Sentiment score: -0.14

It is a central plank of addressing climate change in this country. It is a crucial funding source if we are ever going to move away from our dependence on fossil fuels. I take the point that it is for the Department of Social Protection but the Minister was not able to give me any figures for how much this deferral will cost. I would appreciate if the Minister's Department or the Department of Social Protection could get back to me on exactly how much it will cost. On an ongoing basis, will this be made up from general taxation? Are we giving up on the polluter-pays principle or is the Minister determined to ensure the carbon tax increases that have been legislated for will happen?

Sentiment score: 0.19