Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The job of every Deputy is to come to the Dáil Chamber and tell the story of what their constituents are going through. It is about representing the real-life experience of their constituents. In Donegal, at least two thirds of the homes have home heating oil as their fuel source for domestic heating. The Government has no proposal to reduce those costs.

A year ago, people could get 1,000 litres of oil to fill a tank for approximately €600.

Today, it is at least double that. An oil tank has to be filled up a number of times every year in order to heat a home. This is disastrous for ordinary families in places like rural Donegal and in towns and villages across that county. We also have a public transport deficit in Donegal. Those who want to get an education or earn a living have to have a car. It is an absolute necessity; it is not a luxury. They are being absolutely hammered. I have been inundated with stories recently from families telling me about the impact for them to get to work or a place of education every day. They have to make hard choices in their home. Do they go to work? Do they heat the home? How do they pay for the kids? They have to make all those decisions.

Before Russia invaded Ukraine we had a cost-of-living crisis that was growing and growing. Of course, it has become even more disastrous since the invasion happened. The response of the Government in the motion tonight is unacceptable. The Minister knows this benefit was wiped out overnight before people could even get it. We need to know what the Government is doing at European level to look at the whole issue of VAT. Why is it not addressing the home heating oil issue? It is an absolute insult to people in places like Donegal that it is not being addressed. Will the Minister, for God's sake, talk to the Minister for Transport and tell him to cop himself on and not to be lecturing people in rural Ireland about sharing cars and slowing down? Really, that is not what people in rural Ireland need to hear from any Government Minister tonight.

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