Vol. 483 No. 1
92 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Finance if the inter-departmental committee looking at fiscal instruments to promote environmental protection is still in existence; and the recommendations, if any, that it has made regarding financial incentive for renewable energy. [19584/97]
In his 1996 Budget Statement, the then Minister for Finance announced that he had directed his Department, in conjunction with other relevant departments and agencies, to examine the strategic impact of taxation on environmental policy and to bring forward specific tax measures for the 1997 budget which would have due regard to competitiveness considerations.
A group, entitled the "Environmental Taxation Group" was set up comprising representatives from the Departments of Finance, the Environment, Enterprise and Employment, Transport, Energy and Communications and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners.
This group continues to operate, with representation from the successor Departments where responsibility has now been reallocated since the change of Government, and from the Department of Agriculture and Food.
The views of the group are helpful to me in the preparation of the budget and are taken into consideration in relation to the determination of longer term strategy in relation to fiscal matters.
As this group is a part of the process of preparing the budget. I could not, of course, give the Deputy an indication of their views on any specific topic, such as renewable energy, without compromising the necessary secrecy of the budgetary process.
I can, however, tell the Deputy that I met the Irish Wind Energy Association as part of my prebudget consultation.
