Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yes, although there is not much difference these days, in fairness. I know our Labour Party colleagues struggle to differentiate. A one-party Fine Gael Government would hike car tax, increase VAT, cut child benefit, increase DIRT, hike the tax on wine by €1 and introduce a property tax of €238 per year. Three years on, every one of those commitments from Fine Gael has been introduced or is about to be introduced. There is little wonder as we travel the roads, highways and byways across the State that people ask us what is the point of the Labour Party being in Government.

The latest tax hike, introduced today with the full support of the Labour Party, is a hike in the carbon tax from €10 to €20 per tonne of solid fuel. As the Tánaiste knows, or should know, this will hit vulnerable people hardest, many living in rural communities, elderly citizens and the poorest and most marginalised in society. He should also know that people are already struggling to get by, just to make ends meet, without this extra €1.20 on a bag of coal. An increase of this nature will result in additional fuel poverty.

The fiasco surrounding the handling of the water tax shows that the Government is in crisis as it tries to contemplate how to save the blushes of the Labour Party from the anger of the electorate.

See this speech in context