Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

My office was contacted last week by the Individual Farmers of Ireland group, Irish truckers and hauliers, SMEs, taxi drivers and front-line workers over the fuel increase since 2020, which the Government has failed to tackle. The Government has taxed every person in Ireland €10.88 on every €100. These groups told me they are going to protest. The farmers' group is coming on Sunday and the truckers and hauliers are coming on Monday. They are not protesting for themselves only. They will be joined by SMEs and everybody in Ireland.

I have always said that it was the rest of the country against Dublin but I have to stand corrected. I have been contacted by so many people from rural Dublin. The Government has failed them and let them down. People in north Dublin contacted me over the failure of the Government to tackle the increase in the fuel tax which every Minister, Minister of State and backbencher in Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party are backing. The Tánaiste asked today how he could make a difference to every household in Ireland. The Government is taking 19 cent in tax from the increase on fuel since 2020. It took 81 cent in tax in 2020. It is now taking €1.05 from petrol.

I spoke to the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, yesterday. He told me he was going to speak with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I had a meeting with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and he told me he was talking to the Minister, Deputy Donohoe. I spoke to the Taoiseach. The only person from the Government who did not reply to me was the Tánaiste.

The Government has control of this. I was told last night by the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, that they cannot change the VAT but they have control over the customs and excise, they have control over the National Oil Reserves Agency, NORA, and they have control over the other 19%. They said they do not have control over the 23%.

Every person in Ireland is suffering because of the Government's failure. What did it do when the EU told it to reduce taxes? It increased taxes. People were able to go into shops, get €100 worth of groceries and come home with two big bags of shopping. Now they have one bag of shopping for the same €100 because of the fuel increases the Government has in its control but that it could bring down tonight.

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