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

I fully understand the point the Deputy is making. I understand that for many of his constituents, the car is the only form of transport available to them. I understand that public transport is not always the option it would be for those in our larger cities and towns, whether it be the bus or the train. I know that is not always available. I also acknowledge that our total tax take from fuel is already very high. For example, the contribution that is made from taxation to the pricing of fuel equates to about 60% of the price of a litre of petrol and about 54% of the price of a litre of diesel. While I am not in a position to say that I will be reducing the taxes in the way the Deputy wants me to do, it is in recognition of the issue he has raised that I decided not to change those taxes in this year's budget.

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