Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

How any rural Deputy could support this baffles me. Any working couple in rural Ireland who needs a car or to heat a house will be at least €300 worse off next year. That amount will increase year on year until the difference compared with someone living in a city reaches approximately €40 per week. There are no alternatives. Show me where there is an electric tractor that will bale, mow and put out slurry for farmers.

Be they in a city or the countryside, people must remember that all food travels by lorry and that, although some lorries are moving to gas, lorries usually burn diesel. In rural Ireland, many people drive cars that cost €7,000 or €8,000. An electric car probably costs €35,000 minimum.

We are now telling farmers that we will screw them more. The Government will probably claim that, in light of double taxation, a farmer will not pay this, but the reality is that farmers pay that price to contractors, who do 90% of their work.

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