4 Nov 2019, 15:26
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will hold a special meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, at 7.15pm as part of its consideration of the C&AG’s Report on the Accounts on Public Services 2018, Chapter 9, which deals with Greenhouse gas related financial transactions.
The Committee is meeting representatives from the Central Statistics Office and Economic & Social Research Institute (ESRI) tomorrow to discuss recently published reports by these organisations relating to the economic and environmental impacts of carbon taxes on fossil fuels, and subsidies that are in place.
A further meeting in relation to this issue is scheduled with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment for Tuesday, November 19.
Chairman of the PAC, Seán Fleming TD, said: “Given the awareness of the need for Climate Change strategies, the Committee will be keen to discuss matters related to Greenhouse gas related financial transactions, and the EU Emission Trading System (ETS). We will also be examining the in excess of three billion euro collected in carbon tax since 2010, and how it has been utilised and if it is having the desired outcome. The PAC also wants to establish that government action is consistent with the objective of reducing CO2 emissions.”
The meeting, in Committee room 1 can be viewed live