Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

I have no problem with the increase in the cost of cigarettes, as I was hoping the Minister would announce a higher increase. Even though that would not be popular, there is logic to it as it would discourage people from smoking and the money could be used specifically to help the health service.

There is absolutely no logic, however, to the retrograde step of increasing the excise duty on diesel. It is an economically retrograde step for small industries that depend on haulage to keep their markets in the Six Counties and Britain where the sterling-euro exchange rate causes them to struggle. This is an added cost.

This also affects public transport. This budget is already screwing Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus by way of the substantial reduction in the subvention for Córas Iompar Éireann despite its being one of the lowest public transport subventions in the European Union. We have all been lobbied by taxi drivers who are struggling. Most of the taxis in the State run on diesel which is logical. Those drivers are being hammered again by the increase in the cost of diesel. This is the opposite of what the Government should have done. It should intervene to impose a moratorium on taxi plates. The drivers do not have alternative employment but are stuck driving taxis with ever-increasing costs which they will transfer to the public. Taxis are dear enough since the Government recently agreed an increase in taxi charges with the Taxi Regulator even though the unions did not look for that increase. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment should examine this again. It is not logical and is the wrong road to take.

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