Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I too am amazed because I called a vote in the convention centre on the Finance Bill 2020 and nine other Independents supported me. Every other party, including those in opposition, Sinn Féin and all, voted to give away our right to debate ten years of carbon tax increases to 2030, let alone vote against them. We signed up for a ten-year whammy after whammy to hit mammy or anybody else. We signed that right away.

I do not know what Sinn Féin is doing. It is missing in action. It has been absent as regards this issue. It is total crocodile tears. It is nothing short of a con job. The people out there are hurting and are very sad and angry. Others do not have the monopoly on anger. The people are waiting. They must know this. They can check the record of the Dáil. When I called a vote, no party supported me. Many Deputies wanted more extensive measures. We voted to give away our right to even debate or vote against carbon tax, a right we fight for every day.

The Green Party can be blamed and is to blame, but its partners in government, Sinn Féin and all the parties of the left voted for that. It was not half strong enough for them. Now they are wringing their hands. There are crocodile tears. It is a Pontius Pilate job. It is a farce, a shame and an utter disgrace that they would get away with this. Sinn Féin has a brass neck to put down this motion. My God, a brass neck is one thing but this is a super brass neck. It is made of a cement block. The pyrite blocks would not be as strong to put down this motion after voting the tax in.

Do Sinn Féin think the people are fools, eejits, morons and back in the 1800s? The Opposition voted to give away our right to debate carbon tax from 2020 until 2030. If that was not a con job and a trick o' the loop, I do know what was. The fairy godmother must be around here. Sinn Féin thinks she is waiting for it somewhere.

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