145. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the way in which revenue from collection of the carbon tax is used to support his Department’s climate initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14619/26]

Sentiment score: 0.20

The recent carbon tax increases we have seen impact on the most vulnerable households. It hits them the hardest. As we know, households are facing rising costs across the board, particularly when it comes to filling the car with fuel and heating the home, yet the Government is set to plough ahead with these increases. They are scheduled until 2030 at least. Households are expected to take on this burden at a time when many households are struggling. The Minister says this is a tax that will contribute toward changing people's behaviour but the reality for the people I represent in rural Ireland, that is, people who have to drive their car to get from A to B, who do not have public transport they can rely on, who have to heat their homes and who do not have the alternatives, is that carbon tax is not going to change their behaviour. It is simply a tax that punishes them. While households face these increases, a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General found that just 61% of the carbon tax revenue could be verified as having been spent on the target schemes and programmes the Minister has mentioned. While the Government is making great announcements that the carbon tax revenue is ring-fenced and focused on these initiatives, this report demonstrates that the ring-fencing is not actually happening and that it is being treated the same as general taxation. Why are people being misled on this?

Sentiment score: -0.07

The whole argument the Government uses to justify the increases in this tax is that the increasing receipts are spent on climate initiatives. The Minister can say that it is ring-fenced, but this report has said that the reality is that 40% of the revenue is not being directed toward the intended measures. I outlined to the Minister the pressures that carbon tax increases are placing on households and that people do not have the alternatives. I do not know how the Minister can justify further increases when he is not actually spending the money on the measures that the Government should be funding. In fact, many of his Government colleagues from the regional Independents, when they were in opposition, spoke very strongly against carbon tax increases and the impact they would have on rural Ireland but obviously, ministerial jobs have changed their mind. Taxpayers need to have confidence in how a Government is spending their money. It should be spent in a way that has been promised by the Government. This report states that it is not. Most of all, the Government needs to stop fleecing ordinary households, who are up to their eyes with rising costs. Many households are in arrears on the likes of their energy bills and so on and this is just adding to that again. The Minister needs to recognise that as well.

Sentiment score: 0.09

I attended a public meeting in Abbeyknockmoy in my constituency last week. Power Capital is proposing to develop a very large solar project there. It is already developing one nearby in Grange. There are proposals to install a battery energy storage system as part of these projects. This has caused unease in those communities because in January of last year there was a fire at a separate lithium-ion system based in nearby Claregalway. Three fire fighters have not been able to return to work since dealing with that incident, and the local firefighters have said they are totally unprepared to deal with such incidents. These proposed solar farms and battery systems are in very close proximity to residential areas. I have submitted parliamentary questions on the safety and regulatory requirements for these systems, but there has been very little information coming back and very little in terms of fire safety. On behalf of those communities, I ask the Minister to outline any compliance regulations that are there to ensure that these systems are monitored and operated in a safe manner. Does he have concerns about the ability of the fire services to deal with any potential incidents? Will we see specific planning guidelines in this area?

Sentiment score: 0.02