Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I put on record my total opposition to another attack on small farming communities at a time when our farming communities and small family farms have had the worst eight or nine-month period ever. They see the Government letting them down and taking money out of their pockets at a time when off-farm income has diminished. Farmers might have had a part-time job during the better years but that work is gone and they still have the same costs imposed upon them everyday. The money being taken out of their pockets will have a real impact on them.

With regard to motor tax and vehicle registration tax, it is a poorly thought out decision because we should be trying to encourage people to motor. When people are motoring, they spend more money because they go places and they do more things. Unfortunately, the cost of motoring is prohibitive so people will not engage in the travelling they might have done in the past. I voice my opposition to these measures, which are poorly thought out. They will hit the most vulnerable in society, those who must keep a motor car and must travel to work. I appreciate that excise duty on fuel was not increased but if fuel halved in price tomorrow morning it would still be very expensive. If the average car or van takes €100 to fill, it would still be a lot of money if it was €50. I am thankful to the Government for not increasing excise duty on fuel but I do not like to see changes to VRT and motor tax.

See this speech in context