I propose to take Questions Nos. 213 and 214 together.
The Deputy must bear in mind that the emissions from the transport sector account for around 30% of non-ETS emissions. The carbon tax is about sending price signals to the sector as a whole. The carbon tax does not differentiate between private and public transport per se, however, the impact on public transport will be far less than on private transport by virtue of the fact that the higher cost of fuel is dispersed amongst more people, for example, using a bus compared to an individual in a car. Consequently, the carbon tax will be proportionately less for users of public transport which should be an incentive for its use. In addition, the carbon tax provides an incentive for both private motorists and providers of public transport to invest in fuel efficient cars and buses when they are making future purchasing decisions.
It should also be noted that the Government has invested record levels of public funds in developing transport infrastructure and services over the last decade. In particular, under Transport 21, over €3bn has been invested in public transport since 2006. In rural areas, in addition to the provision of more buses for Bus Éireann, the Rural Transport Programme funding has more than doubled since 2005, and funding levels in 2010 is being be protected at that provided in 2009 (€11m).