Reopening the bogs is a ‘no-brainer’, insists TD

THE Green Party is under pressure over the reopening of bogs for turf-cutting and proposed carbon tax increases amid pre-Budget worries over energy costs.

Rural Independent TD Carol Nolan has lambasted the party’s determination to shut down Ireland’s only indigenous heat resource.

Ms Nolan said widespread gas and electricity price rises demonstrated the need for people to reduce their dependence on big energy companies.

‘Within the context of the current crisis, reopening the bogs as a source of domestic and commercial energy and heating is no-brainer really.’

Ms Nolan noted that the policies of the Greens, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were creating an increasing distance between the people and the Government.

‘My own sense is that the more this crisis deepens, the less regard people will rightly have for the diktats of a politically addled Green elite and their spineless acolytes in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

‘These people are, excuse the pun, insulated from the fear of not being able to heat their homes.’

Ms Nolan also called for a campaign of resistance against the Greens’ crackdown on the sale of turf.

She said: ‘My advice to people is not to take the closure of the bogs lying down – to put the needs of their families and their businesses first and to resist the implementation of a policy that will either bring them to the brink of fuel poverty or deepen their existing fuel poverty.

‘In the current energy price environment, the Government approach of delimiting access to the bogs just does not make sense, ethically or economically.’

Tensions are expected to rise in the Coalition over concerns in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael about planned increases in carbon tax.

Fianna Fáil Agricultural Committee chairman Jackie Cahill said: ‘The public will not, in the middle of an energy crisis, tolerate a further series of price increases, no matter how modest, in fuel and energy. Stopping any further increases is simple common sense.’

Mr Cahill’s concerns were shared by Fine Gael Senator Tim Lombard who warned: ‘Imposing a further increase of this unfair and iniquitous tax would be a case of cruel and unusual punishment.’

Others in Fine Gael are also uneasy about the increases.

One FG TD said: ‘Those Green ideologues are going to land us in it for almost nothing. There will be war over what is a simple job: just don’t increase the costs.’

The unease has emerged in the wake of the revelation that planned increases in the unpopular tax will cost households more than €100million. The figure emerged after Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the estimated cost of not increasing carbon tax next year, relative to the revenue baseline for 2023.

Mr Donohoe previously revealed: ‘I am advised by Revenue that the provisional amounts raised through the carbon tax in 2021 and to the end of March 2022 are €652million and €197million respectively.’

Mr Donohoe also noted last year’s increases would see the tax take rise in a full year to €800million.

Carbon taxes are expected to raise €9.5billion between 2021 and 2030.

Mr Donohoe said: ‘I am advised by Revenue that the cost in 2023 of not increasing the rate of carbon tax on October 12, 2022, May 1, 2023, and October 12, 2023, is estimated at €124.6million. This would rise to €136.3million with an additional €11.7million in VAT.’

‘Don’t take bog closures lying down’