Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The cost of living in Ireland is a massive hardship for so many families and the cost of motoring is proving particularly difficult. The Minister of State will be aware that as she drives around the country that the price of fuel in the forecourts has rocketed in recent months. It could be between €2.10 or €2.20 for a litre of diesel or petrol in most places. This is hitting people hard in the pocket. I very much welcome the intervention to date on the cost of fuel. Without that excise reduction delivered some months ago, we would probably be looking at prices hovering around €2.40 per litre for diesel and petrol. That has helped however most people filling a tank of diesel or petrol weekly will notice a significant increase in the cost of getting from A to B. In most cases people are travelling to and from work, dropping children to or from childcare and doing the necessary journeys that people have to make every day in the course of their lives. There is very little recreational driving going on at the moment because people simply cannot afford to do that. I am asking that the Government to intervene further as soon as possible. I understand this could be done through statutory instrument. The Government could give a waiver for a year on renewing their motor tax. This was something that we were able to do very easily during the Covid emergency when motor tax and NCTs were about to expire. It was possible to extend the term over coverage with the stroke of a pen. Rather than asking people to pay yet another bill to cover their cars with motor tax for 12 months that they be given further time free of charge to give them a break.

The Government is getting the tax back through increased VAT on fuel and everything else in the economy. It is only fair that we give a break here. I have been told we can do no more on excise on fuel. I welcome the measures that have been put in place to date but this is something that could very easily be done to target the motorist in a very positive way and give them a bit of a break in recognition of the extraordinarily high prices that are being charged for fuel at the moment. It is something that would constitute an emergency measure but this is an emergency. People are really suffering. They cannot afford to pay their bills. I welcome reports this morning that the budget is due to be brought forward to September. This is something I raised at our parliamentary party budget meeting on Tuesday. It gives adequate time to prepare a comprehensive package of measures to address the cost-of-living crisis and all the other challenges we have in the country but the budget will be earlier than normal. The sooner these interventions can be made the better. I am asking that before that, consideration would be given on motor tax that would give motorists a break and one less bill to pay for 12 months at least. It is the least we could do in the circumstances. It would make sense and the benefits would be felt throughout the economy because the cost of delivery and transportation impacts on all the products and services we use. It would also be felt by the wider community and immediately by the motorists themselves.

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