My view is we must stop the 1,300 deaths that occur every year. From the European Environmental Agency's assessment, that is the level of excess mortality because of the severe problem that we have with air pollution.

Deputy McGrath thinks it is a red herring.

It is not a red herring for the 1,300 families who lose a loved one.

We know from the past that we can tackle this. When we introduced the ban on smoky coal in Dublin, we saved about 350 lives a year. We need to do that all over the country. This is not coming from us. The Asthma Society of Ireland makes it clear that the burning of solid smoky fuels is central to the problems that many of our children have with asthma. Are we to do nothing about asthma? Are we to ignore the heart surgeons, cardiologists and respiratory disease experts across the country who say this has to be tackl…

Sinn Féin voted with the rural Deputies and voted-----

Does Sinn Féin disagree with the rural Deputies?

Sinn Féin will, therefore, retain the carbon tax.

Sinn Féin supports retaining the carbon tax we have because it recognises that what this Government is doing is correct and right-----

-----in using the revenues from that-----

The Deputy just said Sinn Féin would retain the carbon tax.

Sinn Féin was not saying that in public and on radios across the country yesterday.

People should know that Sinn Féin is standing up for the carbon tax.

And on heating oil. That is Sinn Féin's position. It is in favour of the carbon tax because it recognises, I presume, as we do, that the revenue it brings is the best way of protecting our people from fuel poverty.

I do not think Deputy Mattie McGrath speaks for Sinn Féin.

The question is that I, like Sinn Féin, believe we should have a carbon tax because it helps us to raise the revenue to make the switch.

We need to tackle smoky fuels. The only way we can tackle smoky fuels - the coal, wet wood, peat and other products - that are causing these deaths is to have a regulatory system, as recommended by the Attorney General, in which we tackle all the smoky fuels. In doing that, we recognise it is not an outright ban because there are issues and a tradition in our country where people have had access to their own bog, cutting turf and sharing with neighbours. Of course, we will provide for that but what we will do is st…

I understand the Deputy's statistics are from some 25 years ago but taking-----

Taking them, there is a correlation. Some of those figures include the very same people I am concerned about. The deaths due to air quality are also connected to poverty. It tends to be the same people, so the two issues go together.

Does Sinn Féin accept the legal advice we have received-----

Does Sinn Féin accept the legal advice-----