Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----three measures have been brought in to recognise the needs of the haulage sector, including the fuel rebate scheme that has the potential to deliver more than €30 million to this sector. As its representatives have raised different issues, at each point my Department has engaged with them.

We have now made available to them a report to deal with how we put in place a sustainable and effective system for the sector in the future. The Deputy did not give any recognition to the fact that the Minister for Finance and I had met representatives of the sector. We have given them a commitment that in the next budget we will begin work to reduce the burden faced by vehicles of a particular size. This is an explicit recognition by the Government of the challenges they face and the importance of the sector, as recognised by each of the previous measures we have already introduced.

See this speech in context