Mr. Cathal Sheridan:

Fuel costs have increased significantly. Figures I saw earlier show that the tax-exclusive price for petrol went from €0.48 in February 2021 to €0.82 in February 2022 and €1.01 in May 2022. There is a very significant problem, as is reflected in the price of diesel as well. The Government has responded through the various measures relating to excise, whereby it reduced excise on petrol by 20 cent and diesel by 15 cent in order to alleviate those problems. There are limits to what the Government can do within that, given there is an excise directive that imposes a minimum level to which the State must adhere. The Minister for Finance, in considering this and making these changes, was conscious that excise is a considerable revenue-raiser that is used to pay for the running of the State, so a balance had to be struck in trying to improve the circumstances of people who were affected by the rises in fuel costs while recognising, as I think everyone does, that it is impossible to alleviate the issue altogether. That was the balance he decided to apply. It is fully appreciated that the measures have merely tempered a very significant increase and prices remain at a very high level, but if these changes had not been made, those prices would be considerably higher.