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

I and the Rural Independent Group have highlighted this since November. I highlighted the price of fuel costs on a truck with farmers and everyone else. The fact of the matter is that in 2018, 66% of the price of delivering fuel in the country went to the suppliers and 34% went to the Government. Things have now come full circle. It is now 46% for oil companies and 54% for the Government. All of the increases in fuel are tax, including VAT, customs and excise and National Oil Reserves Agency, NORA, taxes. That is the real problem here.

Some 56% of the delivery of fuel to every household in Ireland is tax. The Government has it within its remit to change that. Every backbencher from rural areas is telling people the situation is very sad, but they are the same ones in opposition who voted for carbon tax. We want a mini budget to be introduced to scrap carbon tax until people in this country are safe. We are elected to protect the people of Ireland and make sure they do not go hungry. The Government will cause mayhem. Crime will go through the roof because of the failure to act to save the people of Ireland. The Government is responsible for 56% of the fuel increases through tax. That is fact.

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