Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister knows, the floor was at €1 and it is now at €1.07 plus VAT. The current increase in carbon tax is not being taken account of for hauliers. I appreciate the Minister's comments about the grant. It is good to hear that and I am sure the hauliers will be very pleased. We must incentivise this as we have done with many parts of the agricultural sector. It is not a highly profitable sector and margins are around 3%. I could not see the majority of hauliers moving fast to upgrade their trucks.

This amendment was presented by the Minister for Public Expenditure, Deputy Michael McGrath, last year when he was a spokesperson for the Opposition. It is the exact amendment. I hope that when we move to Report Stage, the Minister will allow for a report post-Brexit in particular. We do not know how the landscape will be then. It is a sector we cannot do without. We saw through this Covid-19 pandemic that it has not let us down. Shelves were stocked. The sector will come under major pressure post-Brexit. It is already under pressure but after Brexit these will be the workers on the front line. I would appreciate the Minister putting some serious thought and effort into this.