Will Budget 2017 start Ireland on a sustainable path? Or more business as usual?
October 7th 2016
It’s a simple idea: tax bad things, like pollution and waste, and take the tax off good things, like income.
That’s the idea behind Green Taxes and it is good for two reasons. It raises taxes in a broad way and it encourages people to lower their impact on the environment.
Despite the obvious benefits of that kind of revenue raising politicians in Ireland have been moving in the other direction.
In fact, a report from the European Environment Agency reveals that Ireland had more Green Taxes in 1995 than now.
Ireland was above the European average for Green Taxes in 1995 and is squarely below the European average now.
Next Tuesday the Minister for Finance Michael Noonan will reveal Budget 2017.
It is hoped that he will bring about a number of Green Tax measures that will raise revenue and reduce impact.
The Environmental Pillar, a coalition of 28 national environmental NGOs, have lobbied the government on these points.
Earlier this week they asked people to watch out for a number measures they want to see brought in:
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