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Live BlogLAST UPDATE | 24 Jun 2022
THE US SUPREME Court has ended the constitutional right to abortion in a landmark ruling this afternoon.
The court overturned the landmark 1973 “Roe v Wade” decision that enshrined a woman’s right to an abortion and said individual states can permit or restrict the procedure themselves.
In the ruling, published this afternoon, the court said that the US constitution did not provide the right for a woman to receive an abortion.
“The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives,” the court said.
Across the US, both pro-life and pro-choice protesters are responding to the decision on the streets.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says that there is a “myth” that “this is somehow about babies, or children or life.”
“The same individuals who claim to be protecting life, fight against universal healthcare.”
“A party and individuals that claim who claim to protect the lives of children just weeks after over a dozen children died in Texas, now claim to support their life.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY): “Every single one of us has woken up today with less rights than we had yesterday.” @AOC pic.twitter.com/EaXUvrk0xB
— CSPAN (@cspan) June 24, 2022
Aontú leader Peadar Toibin has said that “today is a wonderful day for human rights and democracy”.
“Right now in Ireland women, are forced to give birth homeless, but the government will guarantee mothers the price of an abortion … We need as a society to give mothers real and positive choices.”
Before founding Aontú, Toibin resigned from Sinn Féin on the grounds that he felt marginalised by the party for his anti-abortion views.
Two Senators have suggested that Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch were dishonest about their views on Roe v Wade when being confirmed by the Senate.
Susan Collins, a Republican Senator representing Maine, said in a statement: “This decision is inconsistent with what Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh said in their testimony and their meetings with me, where they both were insistent on the importance of supporting long-standing precedents that the country has relied upon.”
Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia said: “I trusted Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh when they testified under oath that they also believed Roe v. Wade was settled legal precedent and I am alarmed they chose to reject the stability the ruling has provided for two generations of Americans.”
Kavanaugh said at his confirmation hearing in 2018 that the Roe ruling “is important precedent of the Supreme Court that has been reaffirmed many times.”
Gorsuch, at his 2017 hearing, said of Roe that “a good judge will consider it as precedent of the U.S. Supreme Court.”
US Attorney General Merrick Garland has that the US Food and Drug Administration had already ruled on the “safety and efficacy,” of the abortion pill Mifepristone, and that decision could not be overturned by states seeking to limit access to abortion.
“Women who reside in states that have banned access to comprehensive reproductive care must remain free to seek that care in states where it is legal.”
He said that while he understood that travelling for a termination was not always possible, the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act “prohibits anyone from obstructing access to reproductive health services through violence, threats of violence, or property damage.
“Moreover, under fundamental First Amendment principles, individuals must remain free to inform and counsel each other about the reproductive care that is available in other states.”
West Cork TD Holly Cairns of the Social Democrats: “The news breaking in the US is a stark reminder that the fight for reproductive rights is never over.”
Several states have moved quickly to ban abortion, with Missouri’s attorney general tweeting a photo of himself signing off on the prohibition less than two hours after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to the procedure.
The Midwestern conservative state became the first US state to ban abortion, but it will not be the last, with South Dakota and Indiana also announcing that they will take steps to do so and abortion providers in Wisconsin saying the procedure was now banned there.
Nearly half are expected to ban terminations in some form, with 13 states – mainly in the more conservative and religious south – relying on so-called “trigger” laws which come into force virtually automatically.
A number of world leaders have condemned the Supreme Court’s decision.
Alongside Boris Johnson and Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed solidarity with American women. He tweeted: “They must be protected. I express my solidarity with women whose freedoms are today challenged by the Supreme Court of the United States of America.”
Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, said the overturning of Roe v Wade marks “one of the darkest days for women’s rights.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:
“The news coming out of the United States is horrific. My heart goes out to the millions of American women who are now set to lose their legal right to an abortion. I can’t imagine the fear and anger you are feeling right now.”
Oklahoma has enacted a “trigger law” to outlaw abortions.
Just received this from the AG. Our “trigger bill” has been triggered. The AG has now officially certified this and Oklahoma can immediately start enforcing laws on the books that value life! pic.twitter.com/b7ni8N8E4X
— Greg Treat (@Sen_GregTreat) June 24, 2022
Former president Donald Trump has said “God made the decision” to overturn Roe v Wade.
He told Fox News: “This is following the constitution, and giving rights back when they should have been given long ago.”
Trump appointed three Supreme Court nominees in his term – all of them voted to overturn Roe today.
Pro-choice politicians and advocates are pointing out that opinion polls suggest that a majority of Americans favour some form of access to abortion.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last month found that about 71% of Americans – including majorities of Democrats and Republicans – say decisions about terminating a pregnancy should be left to a woman and her doctor.
But that support is not absolute: some 26% of respondents polled said abortion should be legal in all cases, while 10% said it should be illegal in all cases.
Join us to protest the decision to overturn Roe V Wade
Sunday the 26th at 5pm outside the US Embassy in Ballsbridge #RoeVsWade #Repeal pic.twitter.com/TMAD3IBZGb— The Labour Party (@labour) June 24, 2022
A number of Irish politicians will join protests at the US Embassy this weekend.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik, Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Brid Smith and former Socialist TD Ruth Coppinger have all said they will join the protests.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham says Roe v Wade was “constitutionally unsound” from the beginning.
He’s one of a number of Republican senators to make similar assertions.
Roe was Constitutionally unsound from its inception as the flawed legal theory behind the decision gives unlimited power to five unelected Supreme Court justices.
I believe it was one of the largest power grabs in the history of the Supreme Court.— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) June 24, 2022
Today is a very solemn moment for the United States.
The Supreme Court expressly took away a Constitutional right from the American people that it had already recognized. They simply took it away. That’s never been done to a right that is so important to so many Americans.
— President Biden (@POTUS) June 24, 2022
A number of major US corporations have said they will cover travel expenses for employees who have to travel for abortions.
Disney, Netflix, Sony and Comcas and a number of others have made the pledge, which, according to the Washington Post, highlights “corporate America’s unusual role in safeguarding reproductive rights “.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he thinks the decision is “a big step backwards”.
“I’ve always believed in a woman’s right to choose.”
Senator Joe Manchin – the only Democrat to oppose a failed attempted to codify Roe v Wade into law – has said he is ‘deeply disappointed’ with the decision.
The West Virginia Senator said he understood Roe ‘to be settled precedent’.
My statement on the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States to overturn Roe v. Wade: pic.twitter.com/b8bYUP6Zy5
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) June 24, 2022
Former Vice President Mike Pence has called for a nationwide ban on abortion in the US.
In an interview with Breitbart News, Pence said “the Supreme Court has righted an historic wrong”.
Pence is considered a contender for the 2024 presidential race.
Texas lawmakers have acted quickly on the ruling – the state’s attorney general says terminations are now banned.
Moreover, he says he’s making 24 June an annual holiday in his office.
SCOTUS just overruled Roe & Casey, ending one of the most morally & legally corrupt eras in US history. Praise the Lord.
Abortion is now illegal in Texas.
And today I’m closing my office—and making it an annual holiday—as a memorial to the 70 million lives lost bc of abortion.
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) June 24, 2022
Biden: “With this decision, the conservative majority of the Supreme Court shows how extreme it is how far removed they are from the majority of this country.”
He concludes with an appeal for pro-choice Americans to act at the ballot box: “With your vote, you can act.”
Biden: “I’ve warned about how this decision risks the broader right to privacy for everyone.”
He says that Justice Thomas wrote, in a concurring opinion, that the Supreme Court should reconsider the rulings that protect contraception, same-sex relationships, and same-sex marriage.
He adds that the decision will set the agenda for November’s mid-term elections. “Roe is on the ballot.”
Biden says that the only way to secure abortion rights “is for Congress to restore the protections of Roe v Wade as federal law – no executive action from the president can do that.”
“It just stuns me … imagine a young woman having to carry a child of incest.
“And as is often the case, poor women are going to be hit the hardest.”
Abortion rights have been “the law of the land for most of the lifetime of Americans today.”
He points out that Roe vs Wade was a 7-2 decision from the Supreme Court under a Republican president, Richard Nixon.
Three justices appointed by Donald Trump “were the core of today’s decision to abandon scales of justice”.
Roe “reaffirmed basic principles of equality”, Biden says.
“Now, with Roe gone, let’s be very clear: the health and life of women in this nation are now at risk.”
US President Joe Biden has said “it’s a sad day for the court and for the country”.
Brooklyn Democrat Congressman Jerry Nadler notes that the US Supreme Court yesterday ruled that states were wrong to outlaw people publicly carrying firearms whereas today it gives them the freedom to ban abortion.
Judiciary Chair @RepJerryNadler (D-NY): "Justice Thomas has indicated that this is merely the beginning of a radical right-wing effort to throw back other rights, including the right to contraception, the right to marry whomever we choose, and the fundamental right to privacy." pic.twitter.com/UiytXUMtMR
— CSPAN (@cspan) June 24, 2022
Senator Bernie Sanders also saying that today’s decision needs to spark changes in Congress.
He also references the fact that nationwide polling in the US regularly showed support for the retention of the Roe v. Wade decision.
Overturning Roe v. Wade and denying women the right to control their own bodies is an outrage and in defiance of what the American people want. Democrats must now end the filibuster in the Senate, codify Roe v. Wade, and once again make abortion legal and safe.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) June 24, 2022
US Attorney General Merrick Garland has released a statement on the decision.
Garland had been a 2016 Supreme Court nominee under Barack Obama but was denied a confirmation vote by the Republican-controlled Senate.
Garland said:
The Justice Department will use every tool at its disposal to protect reproductive freedom, and federal agencies may continue to provide reproductive health services to the extent authorised by federal law
US-based Irish reporter Niall Stanage has pointed out that all the major US networks have used the same six words to report today’s historic decision.
Rare moment. pic.twitter.com/nN0FfVJmqD
— Niall Stanage (@NiallStanage) June 24, 2022
My colleague Tadgh McNally has written an immediate explainer on the effects that are likely to flow from today’s decision by the US Supreme Court.
He writes that as many as 24 states will now try and completely ban abortions.
There are several states that do have built-in protections for abortion rights and that will likely continue to offer abortions.
For women living in states who will or have banned abortion, they will either be forced to travel to another state that offers abortion services or to order abortion pills from outside their state.
This is likely to cause a drop in abortions overall. Pro-choice campaigners argue that many of the women who get abortions are more likely to be poor, and have pointed out that long distance travel can be extremely costly in the US.
Hundreds of people — some shedding tears of joy and others weeping with grief — gathered outside the fenced-off Supreme Court, where security was tightened ahead of the ruling.
“It’s hard to imagine living in a country that does not respect women as human beings and their right to control their bodies,” said Jennifer Lockwood-Shabat, 49, a mother of two daughters who was choking back tears.
But Gwen Charles, a 21-year-old opponent of abortion, was jubilant.
“This is the day that we have been waiting for,” she told AFP. “We get to usher in a new culture of life in the United States.”
Planned Parenthood, the leading abortion provider in the United States, vowed following the ruling to “never stop fighting” for those in need.
“We know you may be feeling a lot of things right now — hurt, anger, confusion. Whatever you feel is OK. We’re here with you — and we’ll never stop fighting for you,” the organization tweeted.
One of the major arguments from pro-choice activists in Ireland during the Eighth Amendment referendum was that Ireland’s former constitutional ban on abortion did not stop them taking place but only prevented them taking place here.
A similar argument here today from Democrat congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Overturning Roe and outlawing abortions will never make them go away.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 24, 2022
It only makes them more dangerous, especially for the poor + marginalized.
People will die because of this decision. And we will never stop until abortion rights are restored in the United States of America.
President Joe Biden has not spoken publicly about the decision but will speak in about an hour at 5.30pm Irish-time.
President Biden will address the nation on the Roe v. Wade ruling at 12:30 today from the White House.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) June 24, 2022
Virginia is not one of the states with so-called “trigger laws” that will kick in to give effect to today’s decision but the state’s Republican governor has suggested that new legislation to ban abortion may be enacted there too.
Virginia Gov Glenn Youngkin statement on Dobbs: "I plan to take every action I can to protect life." Says he has tasked a group of General Assembly Republicans "to do the important work needed and be prepared to introduce legislation when the General Assembly returns in January."
— Aaron Fritschner (@Fritschner) June 24, 2022
There was a 6 v 3 split in the decision, with the six Chief Justices nominated by Republican presidents in favour of today’s decision and the three nominated by Democrats dissenting.
Justice Alito issued the final opinion today, writing that Roe and Planned Parenthood v Casey, the 1992 decision that reaffirmed the right to abortion, was wrong the day it was decided and must be overturned.
Authority to regulate abortion rests with the political branches, not the courts, Justice Alito wrote.
Joining him were Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. The latter three justices are Trump appointees. Justice Thomas first voted to overrule Roe 30 years ago.
Chief Justice John Roberts would have stopped short of ending the abortion right, noting that he would have upheld the Mississippi law at the heart of the case, a ban on abortion after 15 weeks, and said no more.
Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan — the diminished liberal wing of the court — were in dissent.
Among progressives in the US, there are fears that today’s decision could be a harbinger of things to come from the Supreme Court.
In today’s ruling, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has referenced a number of other decisions that could be considered.
Clarence Thomas writes, in a concurring opinion, that the Supreme Court should reconsider Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell — the rulings that now protect contraception, same-sex relationships, and same-sex marriage.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 24, 2022
Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has said that today’s decision could set the agenda for the midterm elections in November.
“Because of Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, the Republican Party and their supermajority on the Supreme Court, American women today have less freedom than their mothers,” she said.
Radical Republicans are charging ahead with their crusade to criminalise health freedom in the Congress. Be aware of this, the Republicans are plotting a nationwide abortion ban. They cannot be allowed to have a majority in the Congress to do that. But that’s their goal.
Last month, Politico received a draft decision that indicated that the landmark Roe v. Wade would be overturned by the court.
Today’s decision is therefore a confirmation of what was expected but that didn’t stop a huge reaction from both sides outside the court.
US networks are streaming live from outside the steps of the Supreme Court which have been blocked by police for some time.
Immediate reaction has been coming from high office in the US, both current and past.
Former President Barack Obama
Today, the Supreme Court not only reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, it relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues—attacking the essential freedoms of millions of Americans.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 24, 2022
“For more than a month, we’ve known this day was coming—but that doesn’t make it any less devastating. Here are my thoughts from when we first saw the draft ruling.”
Republican leader in House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy
Every unborn child is precious, extraordinary, and worthy of protection. I applaud this historic ruling, which will save countless innocent lives.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) June 24, 2022
The Court is right to return the power to protect the unborn to the people’s elected representatives in Congress and the states.
“In the days that follow, we must keep rejecting extreme policies that seek to allow late-term abortions and taxpayer dollars to fund these elective procedures.
Much work remains to protect the most vulnerable among us.”
Just to give you a sense of the immediate effect of today’s decision, 13 states with so-called “trigger laws” have automatically banned abortions.
These states are: Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
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Increase taxes in order to meet global warming target?
What am I missing here?
@Daniel Dudek Corrigan: The idea is that people will look to use less fuel and electricity in order to keep they’re bills down. It is supposed to encourage people to only use what they need to and not be wasteful.
@Daniel Dudek Corrigan: the elephant in the room: Ireland is legally bound to reduce carbon emissions by a certain percentage and we are way behind the target and fines/purchase of carbon credits will be required.
@Darren Byrne: but ends up hurting people who need to commute to work the most. They should be building renewable energy sources and move away from burning peat (arguably one of the dirtiest ways of producing electricity) instead of constantly increasing taxes for everything. It doesn’t work and hurts people on low incomes
@Darren Byrne: We are already using only what we need to as we pay among the highest prices in europe for electricity and gas, no alternatives,so what are we to do…..freeze,as cutting down is not an option so cutting out is the alternative,crazy tax on necessities.
@Myles Collier: The taxes being charged are being used to fund grants for developing renewables such as wind.
People may start considering things like carpooling or public transport as the cost goes up therefore helping to reduce emissions.
We switched to an electric car because of the savings it could over and it has dramatically reduced our carbon footprint
@Myles Collier: carbon taxes actually have been shown to work at reducing emissions in some jurisdictions, so they will be brought In here too, it’s only a matter of time.
@Myles Collier: Agreed, and I wouldn’t mind these hikes if the money raised on the carbon taxes all actually went into building said renewable sources.
@Myles Collier: 1. They are building renewable energy sources and have more planned if people would stop blocking the planning permissions. 2. They are moving away from peat burning and mixing it with biomass but it takes time to build up the biomass while retaining the employment at the same time. 3. Where is it shown that it doesn’t work? 4. Agreed, it will hurt people on low and all incomes if they don’t reduce energy consumption.
@James Wallace: absolutely it has shown to reduce emissions but it has also shown to be damaging to people on low incomes. It’s a solution the effects of which are felt more by poorer families
@Markonline: apologies I meant it doesn’t work for low income families, I can see how that is not clear. I’m glad they are moving away from biomass because it produces a lot of c02 when you burn peat but also the bog is a natural carbon sink and digging them up means they wont replenish for thousands if not millions of years
@Myles Collier: FG hate the poor & the working classes, didn’t you know this?
@Daniel Dudek Corrigan: seeing people driving just 200 meters to bring their child to school and /or to childcare and back again at home, instead of walking, I understand that taxes are not high enough unfortunately.
@Darren Byrne: ahh, the same reason they’re increasing the price of alcohol?
@Daniel Dudek Corrigan: Tax (money)
@Darren Byrne: Darren it’s a 100 mile round trip for me to go to work it’s not going to get any less if diesel goes up.
@Darren Byrne: Its still too expensive for a new electric car and id be afraid to buy a second hand one I know two people that were hit with nearly €7000 bill to replace the batteries when they bought a second hand electric car, I can barely afford petrol after my rent so for me its going to hit hard when fuel goes up, im not putting electric cars down at all if I could afford a new one I would buy one
@Mac Dara Powell: “Darren it’s a 100 mile round trip for me to go to work it’s not going to get any less if diesel goes up.”
It’s not, though the intent is presumably that you’d switch to some other mode of transport. Right now a 40kWh electric vehicle would be fine for such a 160km roundtrip, and you’re likely only talking €2-2.50 to recharge at home (night-rate metre) versus, what €10+ diesel?
@Daniel Dudek Corrigan: So you pay taxes or freeze to death
@Thomas McGuire: but dont forget to factor in any increase in electricity prices will ALSO push up the cost of running your electric car !!
@Darren Byrne: contributing to super profits of the energy companies who produce it…. wake up
@Patrick Mulligan: the hope is that those who can afford to switch will thus brining down the emissions and the need to keep increasing the tax to pay the fine. The more who switch the decent second hand ones will be available
@Daniel Dudek Corrigan: The Government should contribute to Climate change out of the excise duty paid in the price of diesel why should the hard working people. trying to make end meet have less cash for their hard earned wagee
@Geraldine Fenton: Pretty much all they are doing instead of providing solutions is to create more taxes to pay for the fines
@Markonline: solution : shoot the elephant in the room. We should not have signed up to anything.
@Eric Davies: Scale of difference won’t radically alter. Besides, this further incentivises solar panels installation at home, which your electric vehicle can (partially) charge with
So all these new “green energy” initiatives will be tax free right?
Reducing emmissions by charging people more to use them is not a smart or good plan and will not work if the goal is to actually reduce emmissions.
Providing non-carbon alternatives is the only thing the will reduce carbon usage and in turn emmissions.
How about cutting the subsidies to the biggest polluters in our society and globally.
How about subsidies to average citizens to upgradde their homes with green iniciatives.
There are smarter and more logical ways our government should approach this, but I suppose that’s too much to expect. they’ll go with the usual plan of do nothing except take more money from your pocket
@Darren Byrne: as it stands, if people use less fuel etc the poorest will end up cold and hungry. Some countries “trade off” with countries that have low energy emissions as in the Third World countries. It is an “artificial” tax that will not be effective. The energy efficient person will equally taxed with the energy inefficient person.
@Darren Byrne: And yet we still use coal fired power stations owned by the state Moneypoint in Clare on it’s own produces 20% of the country’s CO2 emissions!!!
Address the problem and don’t use this as an excuse to increase taxes.
@Dwayne Jordan: it is a proven way to address the problem. If forces people to be less wasteful so as not have to pay too much. if everyone could drop 1.5 tonnes from their emissions we’d hit target. Personally my wife and I have reduced our emissions by getting an electric car, one of the main reasons for doing this was the huge cost saving it could provide.
@Darren Byrne: but won’t your electricity bill go up too? your not using fossil fuel but your using electricity. if your electricity comes from wind power maybe you won’t be hit as bad but doesn’t most of our electricity here come from oil?
@Darren Byrne: Sure all its going to do is push up the prices of busses, taxis and trains etc. Then because trucks will be paying more for transporting goods, the price of food will go up..
@Darren Byrne: How proven? Our electricity is among the most expensive in Europe, so is our fuel. So we should already be among the best in Europe already by that logic right?
@Darren Byrne: BS not where there aren’t alternatives. You don’t think 1.35 plus diesel prices won’t put people off. And why did you get a car and not use public transport
@Dean Anderson: yes the electricity will go up but generation of electricity even from fossil fuels is a much more efficient use and results in less emissions. Also we’re up to 23% electricity from renewables. I’m with Airtricity who supply all their customers needs with renewable.
As for the bill because we got the car we switch to a night meter. Car charges at night along with running the washing machine and dishwasher at night. The bill has not gone up.
@Bilbo Baggins: yes but when compared to average wages its relatively low. Bulgaria may pay about 48% of the price we do but their average wage is less than 20% of ours.
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/news/themes-in-the-spotlight/energy-prices-2017
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_countries_by_average_wage
@ed w: I do use public transport but my wife’s job is not anywhere near public transport. As I said it all comes down to having a good enough reason, running an electric car in to work for myself would be about as cheap as public transport but the cost of buying another one is off putting so I wont do it.
@Darren Byrne: adding taxes is not a proven way to reduce it. If it was, the carbon tax wouldn’t be going up all the time because we are not meeting our targets. Just think about it !
@Darren Byrne: methinks Darren works in PR
@Darren Byrne: And yet using your example, of Bulgaria using their numbers they comparatively pay 2 1/2 times more for their electricity compared to their average wage. Yet they use only 14% less energy than us per head of capita, given our latitude difference you could knock another few % off that. Are you willing to pay double for electricity for a 10% reduction in usage?
@Bilbo Baggins: if we had 14 percent reduction we wouldn’t be talking about the need for such dramatic hikes.
@Darren Byrne: Haha you’ve completely ignored my point.
@Darren Byrne: Bulgaria’s economic output is about half of ours (with 51% more people )… And still only 14% less energy … They’ve also had about an hour’s more daylight today. …
@Darren Byrne: ah ok, fair enough so
@Darren Byrne: I’m with Airtricity and my electric bill is higher than Electric Ireland. It’s all greenwashing. We have only one network and a fixed generating capacity.
@Bilbo Baggins: every bit more daylight they get in the winter we get that more than them in the summer, your point? I used Bulgaria to prove that our electricity prices are not that high relative to others
You have somehow conflated higher gdp with higher emissions which if true would leave China economy departing that of Europe but it doesn’t
@John Moylan: I rang them a week ago and got an 18 precent discount. All suppliers feed in to the network. They then buy or sell to meet customers needs. Airtricity put more in to the network then sell thus suppling all their customers needs from renewables.
@Dean Anderson: night meters can be good for the environment their the carrot to the tax man’s stick.
@Darren Byrne: People tend not to need that bit more daylight we have in the summer at 4am. And if you can’t equate economic output to energy usage and balance that with population I don’t have the time to explain I’m afraid , Apologies Darren I thought given you began with a comparison on the basis of metrics that you might understand. Waste at the consumer level is not controlled by tax, that’s an archane concept. That will only lower economic activity as it gives people less to spend everywhere else. We need incentive and innovation. The stick again and again has been shown to be far less effective than the carrot.
@Darren Byrne: we would love an electric car but can’t afford one. Can’t afford a replacement car of any type. What this will do is make the poor of the country turn off heating when they should have it on, this will lead to people, especially the elderly dying from hypothermia in their own homes. It happened in the UK and it will happen here.
@Darren Byrne: im with airtricity too ,have been for a good number of years – so im using renewable electricity -yet my bills and tariffs have just gone up again by almost 12% -plus pso levy and vat — so much for ‘renewables’ saving money eh !
@Dean Anderson: Electricity is still being generated by burning fossil fuels so who is Varadkar kidding?
MORE MONEY FOR THE BIG BOYS AND THERE PENSION????????
@Pauline Fedigan: Ireland pays massively over the odds in comparison to India and China for emission violations and the government feeds us more diatribe and taxes
We should put on an extra vest to help out Leo !
If the government were serious about carbon reduction there would be no road tax or VRT on electric vehicles.
@Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: there’s huge promotions on them at the moment check up the Nissan Leaf offers their doing them for taxi drivers and everyone
@Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: There is no VRT on moderately priced electric vehicles under 37000 (excluding VRT) and those over get a 5000 reduction. Also road tax is only 120 euro.
@Darren Byrne: “Also road tax is only 120 euro”
Road tax on the average car in Portugal is €35 a year.. There’s no only about it, We have been conditioned to accept being ripped off.
@Rob Cahill: Where are you getting your figure from. From what I can see there’s a bit of calculation required for anything registered first time in Portugal after 2007 but some are worked out
Car diesel 2008 with 1461cm3 and 109g / km CO2: € 58.04 + € 59.33 * € 1.05 + € 10.07 = € 128.49
Gasoline car 2015 with 1199cm3 and 130g / km CO2: € 28.92 + € 88.90 * 1,15 = € 135.49
2018 diesel car with 1598cm3 and 99g / km CO2: 58,04 € + 59,33 € * 1,15 + 10,07 € = 145,05 €
Car petrol 2017 with 2997cm3 and 207g / km CO2: € 396.86 + € 193.08 + € 28.92 * 1.15 = € 711.69
Now considering they’re wages are about a third of ours these seem comparable. Also Portugal have their own VRT.
https://impostosobreveiculos.info/iuc/imposto-unico-circulacao-iuc-2018/#principal
@Darren Byrne: “There is no VRT on moderately priced electric vehicles under 37000 (excluding VRT)” Moderately priced :) :) , im falling off my chair
@Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: what fuel is used to power the electricity power stations ?
Water ?
@Quentin Moriarty: Well yes. :) Hydroelectric provides some power, as does wind, peat, gas etc. It’s a fuel mix. You can view it here on the eirgrid dashboard.
http://smartgriddashboard.eirgrid.com/
It also is many times more efficient to produce electricity in a large power plant, than it is in a car/van, even if assuming all fossil fuels. Less emissions, less heat waste etc.
Good question though, and it really shows that there has been no information initiative to inform people about this. Some education is clearly needed.
@Declan Gowran: the Renault Zoe is only 23000, they are moderately prices compared to other EV’s like a Tesla or iPace. when these vehicles can save you thousands a year they can be a great saving.
@Jane Bresnan: I would agree more education is needed but how do you get anyone to pay attention, they simply don’t want to learn.
@Darren Byrne: yeah 280 for my 2.0 litre diesel, electric vehicles should be 0.
@Quentin Moriarty: What’s your point? I said carbon reduction not elimination.
@Jane Bresnan: hence the idea to now charge the use of the charging stations as it is not sustainable
@Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: look to methane from cows mouths and the airline industry before anything else any do not want an electric car for practical reasons and others cannot afford them but they have to take the hits
Green Party under Gormley were blown out of the water for their emission reduction policies
FG should thread carefully on this one
@Quentin Moriarty: Don’t really understand your point there? What’s not sustainable, public chargers?
The majority of EV drivers charge at home or at work. Ireland is a fairly small country. A lot of EVs , especially the newer ones, don’t need a charging infrastructure at all. We have 2 EVs in our family, have been driving EV for 4 years. We used the public infrastructure 3 times last year, no use of it this year.
@Rob Cahill: If FG/FF say that you have to pay more, then you have to pay more. There is no choice. So just shut up and do as you’re told
@Darren Byrne: can I ask where the figures plus calculation methods for those numbers came from ? I find those totals excessive .
We only have one tax over vehicles ( imposto único -IUC ) .
@Isabel Oliveira: more hogwash to push an agenda
The Poles pay through their fuel and it covers the most sensible idea that a polluter pays
Why should an old dear driving 59 miles a week pay the same motor tax as a person driving 350 Miles a week ?
Public transport and EV are not an option for many in rural areas yet it is they who get it up the wazoo
@Quentin Moriarty: Should have a catalytic converter shoved up the cows ass.
@Isabel Oliveira: it was a Portuguese website I gave the link.
@Stephen Devlin: methane comes out its mouth
Vegetarians/vegans at the least argue that the desire for meat is affecting global emissions negatively
@Darren Byrne: ” Only 23000″ are for fkin real? That’s beyond the reach of 70% of the population. It’s a fkin pipedream. You blueshirts haven’t a clue.
@Darren Byrne: oh -only 37,000 – i’ll go and get a couple in the morning so !!! for someone like myself who is disabled 37,000 is equivalent to a total of 3 years money — maybe we could stop eating , wearing clothes , getting our medication ,lose our home – tell you what we could just go away and die – that way we wont need to heat our homes ,cook our food and use the precious carbon -that will leave more for the tds to use in their limos and jaunts around the world .
Perhaps Leo, those that get up at 6am and are at their wits end with charges, taxes, school fees, health insurance etc, etc, etc. Could get some REAL help in upgrading to solar power.
It beyond annoys me to see, state of the art, energy systems installed, for free on those free houses for ‘ethnic minorities’. While we struggle to pay bills and save.
Solar power is completely beyond my means and I’ve been working for 20+ years, never a day on the scratcher!! Never missed a mortgage payment!
@angryDuck: Smaller Cars for your politicans
@Geraldine Fenton: Electric for all politicians. None should be driven around in S class Mercedes. Only allowing them claim mileage on electric vehicles would be a big step and also cut expenses as they’re cheaper to run.
@Darren Byrne:
I never could afford a car even before I retired from employment . , always use public transport , use as little electricity and gas as I possibly can, because its so expensive. . I don’t watch TV because I cant afford to pay for channels . I have the same footwear and clothes for years. So why should I pay for rich politicians who swan around in big cars and fly airplanes around the Country to attend a meeting . Not to mention all the Globe trotting they also do. Have a pain in my Axs listening to how I need to cut down . and save the planet , from the leeches that run this Country more like
@Ava Stapleton: Well said. You are not the only one sick of being bled dry by those leeches and their political parties.
@Ava Stapleton: you’re not the only one Ava. I don’t have TV, eat salads 5 days a week so I don’t have to use electricity to cook and go to bed around 6pm in winter so I don’t have to use the central heating. Don’t have a car either
I honestly don’t think people are putting fuel in their cars for the fun of it. I’m not going to drive any less, as my journey to work isn’t going to shrink overnight. Saying that, my commute gets longer and longer due to all the traffic conjestion.
Give it to you with one hand and take it away with the other!
@Mark Byrne: Exactly, Leo announces that middle earners will have 60 euro more in their wage packets after 5 years if they re elect him,that was Monday. On Tuesday he announces 3000 a year carbon tax, see where this is going…
@Honeybee: 71 dollars a barrel of oil. Government will make a fortune
@Mark Byrne: except they have given us f all in the first place -just take take take !
Omg…what is he saying??? We hv to stop useing these products to save the planet Leo wake up and sort it out..taxing emissions is not the answer
In other words one pays more taxes so that the government buys carbon credits and emmissions remain the same . How is that helping the environment?
Of course, how else will Leo get back the tax lost by increasing the lower band of income tax. Give with one hand, and take with the other.
@Do the Bort man: AND pay for the perennial social welfare recipients
Carbon tax- what a racket. Climate change is just pc nonsense.
@Mike Conway: No it’s not, but thinking you can ax your way out of a problem is something our FFG leaders have pushed at us for too long.. Time to try someone else.
@Mike Conway: are you a climate scientist? The vast majority of them say it’s real. Do you know better?
@James Wallace: maybe thats because if it were to be shown that it is all a con – they would be out of work !!
Get rid of the Blueshirts
@Irish Spider-Man:
Why, are white shirts more eco friendly??
No problem to u varadker but the rest of us workers are struggling to put food on the table after all of ur taxes rammed down our throats, get stuffed
@Patti o furniture: “Home James”-”Yes Mr Varadkar”
@Patti o furniture: Have you not heard there is a recovery going on and we are almost at zero unemployment. Things are looking great now oooops.
Looks like we need a new Taoiseach…..They tax me for own a house.. they tax me for going to work to pay for the hose and now they want to tax me for wanting to heat it…. they can fcuk right off
@Paul Murphy: Get our of European Union join Briton
@Paul Murphy: if you were getting a free house it would come with state of the art solar installed. As a taxpayer, Leo will just press you harder to the grind stone.
@Geraldine Fenton: Bad and all as we are Britain is going to be worse! We can always screw the EU for a bailout down the road again!
@Paul Murphy: Europe will eventually no longer in a position to fine UK for excessive emission so they will be grand
@Paul Murphy: screw the EU for a bailout? You are aware your great grandchildren will probably still be paying for the last bailout we got
@David Daly:, very true. My yet to be conceived grandchildren are already in debt to the EU, all so German banks and pension funds where not hit.
Thank god that energy consuming apple data centre is not going ahead in Athenry!
@angryDuck: Why? We would have made a small fortune off them :-)
@Gavin Conran: not a chance, domestic consumers would end up paying carbon taxes for their electricity usage.
Ask yourself have you seen any benefits to the renewable levies on your electricity bill. Not one, we are just helping the owners of these wind farms amass wealth.
@angryDuck: Fair point
@angryDuck:
Was that the apple data centre that committed to using only renewable energy in their planning application?
@Patrick Nolan: yeah, that was in the PR releases alright. Pure BS tho, considering they were due to consume, into double figures percentages, of the entire nations consumption.
I’ll still have to drive to work as there is no public transport system that will get me from Rathangan in Kildare to Dublin city centre for 6.30 am for WORK. You know? That thing the squeezed middle do to pay for everything and yet receive the least.
@OpenMinded: if FG really give a crap about the workers in this country, they would introduce a 3rd tax band for those that can afford to pay more and tax static wealth along with reducing tax for middle income earners. Tax land hoarding etc etc.
FG are the party of the very rich, alway were always will be.
@angryDuck: the rich pay almost 50% income tax. They need a middle tax bracket for the middle income earners.
Carbon tax but I am made of carbon
@Graham Light: existance tax coming soon
We should do what the French and doing at the moment and get out and march in our thousands. Leo and his friends want us ro pay the fines without finding a solution. What about a 2000 wind turbine farm off the coast of Donegal. Do away with all taxes on electric cars. Real grants to upgrade your house with solar and heat pumps.
This tax has the fear factor for politicians, that is why Leo wants crossparty agreement to stay off public resentment/anger/protest similar to the water charges so when they come knocking from whatever party that supports this extortion, let them know, every BIG TAX hurts.
Why can’t a government for once correctly manage the taxes they collect instead of inventing new taxes to cover up their never ending shortcomings.
@Jim Moran: that would be way too ambitious
I’ve asked this before, where is the transparency for where these carbon taxes are spent. Sure people will be more careful about how much fuel they use, but the tax itself should be used to introduce measure to reduce the over-all carbon footprint too. Also, with all this talk of climate change, increased taxation to tackle it, etc., where is the plan for reforestation????
This is madness – many struggle to heat their homes as it is. Tax on essential activities will not solve climate problems. I drive to work, I’d happily use public transport except it would mean two hours extra a day commuting and is more expensive than driving. Make public transport efficient and inexpensive – this will get cars off the road. Change our electricity generation to renewables – that will also reduce emissions. Our government needs to act – not keep returning to punishing the public. Industry and agriculture are the largest source of carbon emissions – target them if needs be.
“The Citizens’ Assembly was told during its sessions on climate change that Ireland would need to introduce a carbon tax as high as €70 on coal, turf and other products to improve emissions targets.”
Paying more make emissions go down ??
@Rob Cahill: How about a bottle of spring water from the springs of Italy?
(Not brought here by foot courier but enjoyed by green fans none the less)
Why don’t we all just walk and cycle and live and work in the dark and cook over a fire and
What makes verruca think that he will in power in a few years time,
Fuel taxes are going down well in France at the moment,
Government : will slap on some taxes to pretend we are doing something. But won’t provide any meaningful alternatives (esp public transport ) because we can’t be bothered. The we will blame the people for not changing.
Spineless Pathetic bunch politicians
@ed w: sure one should be able to cycle/bus from Lenane to Salthill for work, DAILY ?
@Quentin Moriarty: why not first train into sligo gets in at 11am buses don’t run in the nw to get people to school or work. Have to use the car
@ed w: that’s my point. Can’t be done.
Forget the rural dwellers and the need for a car
You have to laugh, the government increasing carbon taxes when they can expense getting to and from work so never have to worry about rising fuel costs.
so they are putting plans in motion to try and screw us again
Where are families supposed to find this extra money? What with the family home tax and soon to be water charges, not to mention the wealth of stealth taxes that insure we are forever paying for services that don’t exist. All this will insure is people will go cold. God help us all.
Carbon has nothing to do with warming and they know it! this is just robbery! and we are cooling not warming and it has everything to do with the sun. this is just pure BS i want my money back thanks.
Yes because our country of less that 5 million people causes so much pollution. We need to forget the idea of engjoying a higher standard of living to save the world…. Meanwhile in america Trump simply tell the world to f**k off with the targets and continues to cause more pollution in a year than we probably would in a hundred.
@Jordan Osullivan: *enjoying*
For every breath you take soon this government will tax you .
Any word about extra carbon tax onto farmers? Since farming in Ireland is by far the largest contributor to co2 emissions they need to be taxed accordingly
How will more taxes make my house easier to heat? We already use the bare minimum fuel on account of the cost. And if I buy a roll of insulation or new boiler, the government charges me 23% vat. Is a warm home to be the new luxury – only for the rich.
Think what happened with taxing water
@Thomas Sheridan: yep, it’s all about wealth transfer, for this to work efficiently, FG must ensure that you are always just scraping by.
Note: due to insane rents and housing costs, you children, nó matter how well educated, will be rent slaves to those that own all the houses.
Where is all this money supposed to come from… The price of everything is so out of sync with the living wage. Working to feed the system and nothing more. Still feels like austerity regardless of what RTE and FFG say.
Ah yes, the old carbon tax scam that keeps on taking, and the willing simpletons that cheer it on and cheer on fake billing companies.
Clearly the targets were set too high.
Arrr….Get rid of LeoVaradblueshirt and give us all free houses with solar panels and a free electric car, cut all taxes… Yeeasrrrrr… Will definitely sort #Fakenews climate change!
@Dotty Dunleary: meanwhile 50 percent of electrical goods can be repaired yet they are dumped and sent to our friends in Africa who will burn with impunity to remove the copper and precious metals
Farcical beyond belief and the focus is now on EVs
Balloon transportation in 10 years to be proposed
Nice to see my expensive to fit carbon neutral air to water heat pump will cost me a hell of a lot more to run once this hike comes in with increases to electricity.
Tax the producers of the worst levels…. how can you tax citizens when there is little or no alternative….. greedy opportunists this government
A small little Island like Ireland excepting being the blame for climate change is a laugh.
Can people not wake up the fact people like in the green party are making a nice living off this climate change hype.
This country is rife with elected parasite.
So how does a carbon tax in Ireland, banning straws in EU and other BS stop the likes of Indonesia from dumping their rubbish into the ocean, or the likes of India/China from burning ridiculous amounts of coal?
More taxes on more taxes Restaurant owners in Jan must add on 4.5% on food coffee etc more cost.
If this Goverment keeps it up with stealth taxes they are going to fall a long way..
Carbon taxes like the sugar tax does not work but only give the bigger tax at end if year a joke.. also in 2030 or there avours you won’t be able to use fossil fuel in your home and that could mean serious tax on heating your home..
Any word on all the coal being brought down from the north with no carbon tax paid or VAT at all? Increasing carbon tax is bound to happen but it will encourage people more to dabble in this grey area and there doesn’t seem to be a thing done about it here by revenue. Disclaimer : I am in the fuel business.
pity they can’t use all that damn money for tolls collected on roads that have been bought and paid for
@Jessie Ginger:
The previous FF donkey government under Mr Dempsey didn’t copper fasten the whole toll farce and it is not in total governmental control
Is it any wonder the UK is getting out
It’s only the millionaires will be able to live in ireland comfortably after a few more years
How can you possibly tax petrol more. It’s a necessity not a luxury.
Is the money being used to invest in renewable energy?
In the meantime the rest of the world powers couldn’t give 2 f*+k .. and the Irish taxpayer cops it up
The
Arse
As
Usual!
Multiple governments have known this target was on the horizon and dug their heads in the sand. The lack of foresight is shocking added to back tracking on incentives for EV’s in the budget shows that climate change is not on our agenda. Our kids will pay for generations as a consequence
@DC: I’m also involved in promoting a carbon reduction product for the dairy industry and yet some co-op’s shrug their shoulders and say it’s not their problem.
If they were serious, they would fund everyone who wanted to insulate their home (not just lower incomes). You have to spend a fortune to get any grant. I have no choice but to buy fuel to get to work or to heat my home. I would love to buy a more efficient car or use less heating, but I can’t, and the government just keeps taking more and more from me.
Incentivise farmers and consumers away from beef if this isn’t really just about more excuses for taxes on the 99% that is. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/21/giving-up-beef-reduce-carbon-footprint-more-than-cars
What a joke.. weres the imitative for all household renewables.. its not rocket science..
Yeah screw the punter as the politicians have their travel bills paid by us fools
Too afraid and cowardly to put it in the budget and now hiding behind the C02 levels and enforcements. Love to see how they distribute the tax levels and who and what gets hit the worse. If they want electric cars then raising electricity prices won’t encourage buyers and they can’t get public transport sorted either Leo your an Ass
All cars can have issues when bought second hand and I can understand where you’re coming from. But if people with money think they can save long term they will start to buy. This will help reduce emissions meaning less of a need to increase the tax. This will eventually lead to more decent second hand evs coming available
@Darren Byrne: darren you need a reality check…. zero competition in the car cartel in ireland…. or haven’t you noticed
@Jessie Ginger: not only that SIMI have the governments war and have made a dogs dinner of it all
They are forcing people out of cars that are NCT emissions compliant in order to line their own pockets
We now see a diesel dump from the UK coming to the Paddy shores and it will get worse thanks to the egg heads who favoured a move from diesel to petrol
Electric cars we never take off until a people carrier is available that can get you to and from where you want to go without planking it that it will die
People like me can’t afford to waste electricity or diesel, this is just a tax to screw the poor
Would it not be more socially acceptable for mega profit companies to maybe cough up an extra percent or two.
As a truck driver and midwife partner with two young children and small mortgage, and each drive 12 year old cars, need these as live in country, these carbon taxes are so financially crippling and demoralizing.
So that’s the solution to reduce emissions? Increase taxes? Or maybe they need to increase the tax to be able to pay off the fine they will receive for not meeting their targets.
have your say