The Social Democrats have warned against a further postponement of the carbon tax increase scheduled for next month.
Deputy Jennifer Whitmore said the programmes funded by the tax were really important schemes, including retrofitting projects and the acre scheme.
“If you’re paying a tax that is ringfenced, I think it’s easier for people to understand that that money is being used for good. And from an environmental perspective, it’s really important that we continue to have this in place,” she said.
“There are other mechanisms to cut the costs for individuals, so as long as we ensure that we are assisting those individuals that are really struggling, whether it’s with their fuel costs or with their energy costs, I think there’s a way of doing that.”
Ms Whitmore made the comments at the party’s pre-Dáil think-in where the Social Democrats also proposed a €450 million windfall tax on energy companies to be largely used to fund a €400 energy credits for low and middle-income households.
Deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan said it was not right that any energy company would make “super additional” profits from the current energy crisis while households struggle to pay bills.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Mr O’Callaghan said the tax would help fund a solar for plan that would help households.
“There is no rationale for energy companies to pocket additional profits above what they would usually make in a usual year. We are saying that should be taxed and those funds used to pay for our solar for all plan.”
A government spokesperson has pointed out that Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris has written to European finance minsters to confirm that the issue would be discussed at the Ecofin meeting in Dublin this weekend.
He also called for temporary reductions in excise to be extended until May and then reviewed.
Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns, who is pregnant with her second child, is not attending the think-in as she has been required to stay in Cork on medical advice.
She will return to the Dáil in the coming weeks according to Mr O’Callaghan.
Another absentee was Dublin Bay South TD Eoin Hayes and the party faced repeated questions about his whereabouts.
Mr O’Callaghan denied that the party was hiding Mr Hayes from the media in the face of repeated controversies and insisted he would attend the event later in the day.
A story in the Ditch website reported that Mr Hayes had boasted about his role in reducing headcount at Irish tech company Wayflyer.
Mr O’Callaghan said that Mr Hayes had explained that he was not responsible for decisionmaking at the firm and was instead involved in financial modelling.