Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to get the opportunity to speak. I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett for his motion.

Every man and woman, working or even not employed, is under savage pressure and the Government knows the reason for it. The cost of energy, the cost of travelling, the expense of diesel and petrol and home heating oil has gone up. Things are so extreme now. There was one way to deal with it, and that was not to add the carbon tax. The Government has a greater take of tax now from fuel than it had before the worldwide increase in oil prices came on. The Government's tax take is much greater.

Other countries have reduced the amount of tax they are taking. They are not insisting on taking more carbon tax but the Government is held to ransom here. Its hands are tied behind its back by the Greens. They are not allowing it to touch or reduce the cost of energy.

Farmers are paralysed and driven down into the ground with extra costs. It is as if this Government hates the farmer. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine could subsidise fertiliser and he could forego these anti-dumping levies but he will not do that because the Greens will not allow him. All the working class people are suffering then because if the farmers' production costs go up more they have to demand more for their produce. It is a merry-go-round. The Government could have it stopped and have helped a lot, but it has sat idly by. The Government has all these other plans now but there was one way of doing it - forget the carbon tax for now and drop the tax take.

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