Rose Conway-Walsh warns carbon tax hits rural households
On 13 Oct 2020 Rose Conway-Walsh spoke about the carbon tax, arguing it unfairly burdens ordinary people and rural communities. She opposed the tax in its current form, saying revenues have not been ring-fenced and there are no guaranteed environmental benefits.
Arguments against the carbon tax
She noted that a carbon tax has been collected since 2010 and that about three and a half billion has been raised, but the money "hasn't been ring-fenced for climate change measures." She criticised the wider taxation approach for repeatedly taxing "the little people."
Corporate examples cited
She referenced an exchange with the CEO of the Carb Gas Project who said he might pay corporation tax "20, 25 years time," using this to illustrate unequal treatment in taxation and delayed corporate contributions compared with immediate burdens on households.
Rural impact and school transport
She highlighted the lack of alternatives in rural Ireland, saying parents are being forced to drive children to school because pupils cannot get seats on buses. She warned this contributes to a growing divide between the haves and the have-nots.
Proofing and legislative concerns
She argued a broad-brush carbon tax risks hitting a large swathe of society without ensuring positive behaviour change or environmental impact. She said the measure "hasn't been rule-proof" and pointed to legislation proposed by Martin Kinney last year as an example of the kind of proofing she believes is needed.
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We already have a carbon tax, indeed since 2010 we have collected about three and a half billion on carbon tax and this money hasn't been ring-fenced for climate change measures. See what people find very difficult to understand is why, you know, we look at prime time a few years ago and we see the CEO of the Carb Gas Project and he's asked the question, when are you going to pay or how much, how much corporation tax are you going to pay and he says, I may pay 20, 25 years time and this is the problem with this. This is the, that is one of the problems with it in terms of taxation of the little people all the time. The other problem is, with no alternatives in rural Ireland, we have spent weeks and weeks here talking about school transport, yet we are forcing parents to drive their children to school because they cannot get a seat on the bus. This is, there's a huge societal divide emerging between the haves and the have-nots. A broad brush approach to carbon taxation runs the risk of negatively impacting a large swathe of society, without any guarantees that there will be any positive behaviour change or a positive impact on the environment. That is why we are opposing this tax, because it hasn't been rule-proof. And if we had adopted legislation, as Martin Kinney put forward last year, we would have more proofing legislation. That's the most important work. That's the most important, that we are to hear. Is that a national majority? That's the most important issue. Right, the most important issue, that, you know, we raised laws in L.A.
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