Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I compliment my colleagues in the Labour Party for bringing this motion before the Dáil. As a colleague of mine from Mayo, I am surprised at the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Calleary. The Green Party element of the Government is destroying rural Ireland and is having a serious effect, particularly on elderly people. First we had the carbon tax, followed by the PSO levy. The Fianna Fáil Party, particularly its rural Deputies, must have gone yellow because it is allowing those in the Green Party to do this. We all love to have a green country and to have everything green but a big price is being paid for it. Those paying this price are the elderly, the sick and the weak. They will have to turn off the heat and will only be able to afford to turn on their fires at certain times of the day. This country does not have a climate which will guarantee three or four months of summer weather. People in this country need their fire every day of the week, 52 weeks of the year, particularly during a harsh winter such as we had last year which was shocking.

Is the regulator living in the real world? I know the regulator is on €300,000 or €400,000 a year and he will not depend on the €20 a week fuel allowance. This country is in a most serious economic crisis and he allowed the price of fuel to increase. First of all we had the Green Party and Fianna Fáil carbon tax and then we had the PSO levy. The price of a bale of briquettes has increased by approximately 7% and the cost of oil and fuel has increased by approximately 8% as a result of the new levies.

What is wrong with the Fianna Fáil backbenchers? Are they not going to stop the Green Party people? Do they want people to leave the country? The Minister announced that in the past week he increased the units with regard to the ESB. However, the fuel allowance will have to be increased if the prices of briquettes, coal and oil have increased while people's incomes are decreasing and social welfare has been cut back. We have to do something to protect these people.

I wish to address those on the Fianna Fáil wing of the Government. I know they have gone yellow. The Green Party has gone green but we can no longer afford the Green Party. People in rural Ireland cannot afford it. The carbon tax affects rural Ireland more than urban Ireland. It affects us because we depend on our cars. We do not have Dublin Bus or the Luas. The new charges on fuel are having a big effect.

Elderly people have to be protected. Fuel is essential. If one asks older people what they want, they will answer that they want security and a bit of heat in their home. The Government must protect the most vulnerable. We must protect the weak and the elderly. I say to everybody involved in formulating the budget that the fuel allowance of €20 is not enough. We need it increased to protect the most vulnerable. These people must be protected.

The regulator has to live in the real world. He cannot be allowed to dictate policy in economic times such as these. It was fine two or three years ago when we thought we were awash with money. We are not awash with money now. That guy is making decisions but he was not elected; he was appointed by the Government. I blame the Minister, the Government and the Taoiseach because this Government has set up quango after quango, none of which is responsible to the House. The regulator stated that the PSO levy was necessary but it was not necessary at this time. It has put further pressure on businesses and the elderly and this cannot continue.

We must protect the most vulnerable and those who need a bit of heat. The increased charges on fuel introduced in recent years are wrong. Some 110,000 people are now making weekly payments to the ESB and Bord Gáis. These people have mortgages and are in jobs and they are doing so because they cannot afford their fuel. There is an outrageous situation in this country where people must ring up Bord Gáis and the ESB to enter into arrangements because they cannot afford to pay their fuel charges. Something has to be done. These people have to be protected. I say to the green wing of Fianna Fáil not to be so yellow and to stand up for the elderly people of this country who need to be protected.

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