Opposition reaction: Consumers are likely to have to pick up the tab for the Government's failure to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions blamed for causing climate change, according to the Green Party.
Reacting to the EPA's latest review of the state of Ireland's environment, the party's deputy leader, Cllr Mary White, said: "Big business must pay its fair share in order to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions".
The EPA's review said emissions were now 29 per cent higher than they were in 1990. Unless measures were taken to reduce them, it estimated that the overshoot of Kyoto Protocol targets would cost €650 million between 2008 and 2102.
Ms White, who is a candidate for the European Parliament in the East constituency, called for policies that reduce environmental damage.
"Instead of spending the bulk of transport funding on motorways, we should be improving bus and rail links."
The Sinn Féin environment spokesman, Mr Arthur Morgan TD, said the EPA's findings were "an indictment of the failures of the Minister, Mr Cullen, to tackle greenhouse gas emissions", particularly in setting targets for the industrial sector.
"The fact that the report also found that pollution from traffic was a primary cause of air quality deterioration confirms Sinn Féin's view that this Government's promotion of private transports, and failure to invest in rail and public transport generally, is blatantly misguided."
IBEC welcomed the EPA review which, it said, "clearly confirms Ireland's impressive environmental track record in having some of the cleanest air and water in Europe. Even the problem areas of waste and climate change have shown real improvement."
According to IBEC, it was imperative to strike a real balance between environmental protection and economic development.
