Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

I do not accept that. As I stated, they are going out of business by the hour literally. The Minister said anyone who drives a car knows about the increase and we can see it in the price at the pumps. At best trucks do between 3 to 6 miles per gallon so it is a major cost. This is aligned with the fact they receive less income from the companies for which they work because everything is being cut. They are in a stranglehold. We must recognise this valuable industry and try to safeguard it against attacks from the fly-by-nights and rogues. One way to do this would be to deal with laundered diesel, which is a disaster. It is illegal and a fraud but still continuing. I hope the Minister for Finance will listen to the Irish Road Haulage Association because we will not have an industry if we continue like this.

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