Government snubs demands for carbon tax — yet again

The Government has again snubbed demands for a carbon tax and put the much-needed revenue earner on the back burner.

The Minister for Finance said the special environmental tax — estimated by the opposition to be worth e440m a year — may be delivered at a further stage, possibly next year.

It is the second time the key proposal by Government partners, the Green Party, has been ignored in the budget. Minister Brian Lenihan also promised last October to introduce a carbon tax.