An Taisce blasts carbon tax policy

THE Government was accused of hypocrisy as Environment Minister Martin Cullen indicated that everyone would have to bear the burden of carbon taxes if Ireland was to meet its obligations under the Kyoto protocol.

While welcoming the fact that carbon taxes are to be introduced by the end of 2004, environmental group An Taisce criticised the Government for implementing contradictory policies.

An Taisce’s Ian Lumley said the Government had left it very late to address the issue and was still forging ahead with policies which will increase, not reduce, emissions.

“The real surprise is that the minister is saying one thing and presiding over a government that is doing another thing altogether,” Mr Lumley said.

Measures such as the scaling back of rail transport, a failure to get to grips with farm production and the continued building of peat-fired power stations were all examples of government measures which will increase emissions, An Taisce said.

“We are building peat stations which will actually result in energy customers facing a financial penalty,” Mr Lumley said adding that new stations were being built purely for political reasons.

Yesterday as he revealed that spiralling greenhouse gas emissions could result in a fine to Ireland of 1.2bn fine within a decade, Mr Cullen warned:

“Everybody will have to pay their share on items like heating oil and petrol. If everyone is involved, the cost to everybody will be very, very low. It is not a question of picking it out by sector.”

According to Mr Cullen, the price of complying with a target of capping Irish greenhouse gas emissions at 13% of 1990 levels could be as much as €260m annually over five years.

Ireland is 23% over the 1990 levels and is estimated to be heading for a level of 37% above the 1990 rate. Per capita contribution to greenhouse gasses in Ireland is 17.7 tonnes compared to a European average of just 10 tonnes.

Mr Cullen said in the last few months we have seen a complete change in our weather pattern - deluges, storms, enormous flooding and spring weather This is happening because we have not been taking care of the environment. All of the experts say this is the greenhouse gases having an effect on the ozone layer, and it is causing major changes in weather,” he said.

Referring to An Taisce’s criticism, a department spokesman said Mr Cullen had held meetings about emissions from peat power stations and that new stations were far more environmentally-friendly.

“Our peat stations in the past have not been up to the standard they could have been, but this is not the case anymore. New peat stations operate more effectively,” said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson also said the department was awaiting the outcome of the Strategic Rail Review by Transport Minister Seamus Brennan before addressing the issue of reduced rail use.

“I don’t think the gravity of the problem was grasped initially. But there is no get-out-of-jail card on this,” said the spokesman, adding carbon taxes were a key part of a strategy which would also have to involve wind energy.