Environmental campaigners have branded the Irish budget a complete failure on climate change.
Among the limited green initiatives announced on the day were a zero benefit in kind rate for workers whose employer gives them an electric company car.
Farmers were also given a tax incentive for leasing land for solar, an extra 36 million euro (£32 million) is going on energy-saving schemes and a renewable heat incentive is on the way.
The Government also opted to leave excise on diesel untouched, with the fuel in Ireland costing 11 cents (9p) less than petrol and the country enjoying one of the highest rates of diesel car sales in Europe.
Oisin Coghlan, Friends of the Earth director, said: “I’m not sure what planet the Government is on but it doesn’t seem to be one where Ireland has signed the Paris Agreement and committed itself to reducing climate pollution by 80%.”
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said: “The lack of direction is there in everything they do.
“There are marginal nudges in most sectors through the use of tax breaks and spending increases but no real sense of any strategic decision-making.”
Other investments seen as “green” were three million euro (£2.6 million) for cycling infrastructure.
Campaigners accused the Government of putting carbon tax on the long finger with a state think-tank asked to advise on proposals for Budget 2019.
The Environmental Pillar, which represents 26 national environmental organisations, said the Budget was an “extreme disappointment”.
Mr Coghlan, who was budget spokesman for the group, said there was nothing to reflect the urgency to remove the beneficial treatment for diesel.
“We highlighted three effective ’polluter pays’ levies with the potential to raise over 200 million euro (£178 million) in revenue and protect our environment,” he said.
“Unfortunately for us, and for the Irish people, the Government has decided to go down another line.”
Mr Coghlan also criticised Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who had raised the prospect of Ireland showing “a new ambition on climate change” when he was elected.
“The budget was a real test,” he said.
“But there’s just nothing there. There’s nothing substantial. Thirty-odd million for energy schemes – it’s just a drop in the ocean.
“There’s nothing in this to get off peat and coal.”
Despite the Government moving to a renewable heat incentive, Mr Coghlan hit out at the decision not to encourage communities, schools, small businesses and even households to generate power through solar and feed it into the grid for a price.
“They are excluding the small-scale community renewables,” he said.
“It’s just going to fuel resentment. There will be blowback from communities and households in the same way there was with the wind farms.
“We say you are not going to get the big things done unless you include the ordinary people.”
Mr Coghlan said Ireland would be one of only five European Union countries that are going to miss out 2020 climate change targets.
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