The air-travel tax will soon have to be reintroduced and its abolition in the budget “doesn’t make any long-term sense”, according to An Taisce.

In a statement last night the charity said the tax would be necessary to address climate change. It said society would have to choose between foreign holidays today and a sustainable future for the next generation.

The €3 tax on air travel into and out of Ireland was lifted in the budget.

“The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report confirmed that it is 95 per cent certain that emissions from human activities – such as increased air travel – are responsible for temperature rises and other climate disruption.

“Air travel is by far the most carbon intensive form of transport . . . with the recent IPCC report stating that there is now only a 50-50 chance of avoiding runaway temperature rises,” said An Taisce.