Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Acting Chairman for this opportunity to speak briefly on this Bill. If we sit down and try to identify in a pecking order the issues that impact on the greatest number of people in our population at present, fuel costs will be very near the top of the pile. There are so many car and transportation costs because people are driving to work. Those who live in the commuter belt along the east coast and into the midlands must drive in and out of Dublin on a daily basis. There is no doubt that many of these people have been seriously and adversely affected by the very steep increase in fuel prices in recent times. This is at a time when many people find themselves the custodians of stressed mortgages and face issues of personal debt as general costs in the economy have escalated. The one area where we can make a real difference is fuel costs.

This Bill is framed and designed to tackle the issue of fuel costs in the economy. If we are to achieve the level of competitiveness that is clearly necessary to get the economy moving again, create jobs and have a cost base within the economy that will leave us in a competitive position vis-À-vis other places in the marketplace selling their produce, it will come about in the area of motoring and transportation costs. We have it within our power to reduce those costs and this Bill graphically spells out how that is to be achieved. Although some commentators may say that we have certain commitments to meet in our arrangement with the troika, there are very strong and compelling arguments that these proposals would have a stimulus effect in the economy. If we look at some of the projections made by units looking at this general area in the UK and transpose them to Ireland, clearly the same type of benefits will accrue to our economy.

Taking the tourism industry, particularly the number of people who take their holidays outside the country, it would make a difference if we could succeed in getting 30% of them to holiday at home. Motoring costs are one of the most significant elements of the holiday spend in Ireland. People plan their holidays. If the Government and the Minister for Finance can convince one in three of those who holiday abroad to take their holidays at home, imagine the revenue benefit that would accrue to the Minister's Department and to the Exchequer. If this Bill finds the support of a majority of Members, it will go a long way to meet the sort of requirements that exist in that area.

In recent days I was especially heartened by a backbencher on the Government side. I am sorry he is not in the House so that I could compliment him. He has spoken on local radio, exhorting the Minister for Finance and the Government to look at the issue of the cost of fuel for transportation, social driving and driving to work. I do not know if the Deputy has had an opportunity to speak in this debate but I hope that when we come to vote on it in half an hour, he will see the merit in the argument that has been advanced for this Bill and will make the ultimate call on behalf of those he was rightly advocating for by supporting it. We await developments. There are only 25 minutes to wait and see what will happen. I encourage the Minister for Finance to forgive the particular Deputy if he takes that road tonight. He would be doing a great deed for the country but we will await developments and see how things pan out.

I am sorry I have only a limited time to speak. I lend my support to the Bill and to my party advocate, Deputy Timmy Dooley, and I hope the Minister for Finance, who we are glad to see present for the debate, will see the merit in the arguments and the points advanced and perhaps consider implementing them.

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