Sir, – We are supposed to be trying to reduce carbon emissions in this country, but our Minister for Transport is actively working against that goal by scrapping the passenger cap at Dublin Airport. Motoring fuel taxes, including carbon taxes, more than double the price of motoring fuel, yet aviation fuel is hardly taxed at all. At the very least, aviation fuel should have carbon taxes applied at the same rate as motoring fuel. Isn’t it about time that air tourists started contributing, through carbon taxes (and rightfully, excise tax and VAT, as well), to discourage the casual use of air travel and its associated emissions and instead help fund projects to reduce carbon emissions in our State? Yet someone flying in or out for multiple leisure weekends away and causing far more emissions than the average motorist’s annual emissions, can benefit from cheaper airfares due to untaxed aviation fuel emissions.

Source: The Irish Times February 16, 2026 14:36 UTC