Minister for the Environment Dick Roche has rejected suggestions that a report from his department outlining Government achievements on the environment was boastful or biased.
At the launch of the report, Ireland's Progress Towards Environmental Sustainability, Mr Roche said that "quite startling progress" had been made on the environment but warned against complacency about future challenges on the environment.
However, he was accused by Opposition parties of displaying "ostrich-like tendencies" amid claims that the report did not outline the extent of the future challenges in terms of environmental protection.
The Minister again defended the Government's decision to spend €270 million on purchasing carbon credits in order to make up for an 18 million tonne shortfall in the reductions required to meet Ireland's commitments on climate change.
Mr Roche said he was personally "very sceptical" about the concept of a carbon tax as a tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The tax has been supported by his own department and predecessors since 2000 but was abandoned by the Government in 2004 following lobbying by industry and claims that it could damage the economy.
"I think the case for a carbon tax is not proven. In the last 18 months we have seen very significant increases in petrol prices but no decline in fuel consumption." He added that it would put pressure on the inflation rate.
Speaking about the state of the Irish environment, he said international studies had placed Ireland as 10th in the world in terms of environmental progress and seventh in European countries. The report, which outlined various developments across a range of indicators and sectors, showed this. "It isn't boastful . . . It's important to set out the progress that has been made," he said, adding that it was completely objective.
The Green Party accused Mr Roche and the Government of failing to realise the extent of the environmental problems facing the country. "There's a lot of storm clouds on the horizon, we have increasing car dependency, urban sprawl and carbon emissions, and this will cost the tax payer dearly," its environment spokesman Ciarán Cuffe said. "He's exhibiting ostrich-like tendencies."
He said a turnaround in three key areas was needed in Ireland. "We need to invest in public transport, have proper planning in place and improve energy regulations."