Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputy Carroll MacNeill.

As many colleagues have said, we live in unprecedented and uncertain times. A friend of Europe and of Ireland has been invaded, the victim of a barbaric act and a barbaric dictator who has brought wanton and untold carnage on that country. Over the past number of days, we have seen a massive outpouring of humanitarian support and aid for the people of Ukraine, which is only right, just and proper. There are many analogies between Ireland and Ukraine, going back to the Famine when our population was decimated, with almost half our people lost either through death or forced emigration. Already in Ukraine, we have seen the forced mobilisation and movement across land of 2 million people in a matter of days. That situation is going to escalate and this war is undoubtedly impacting greatly on Europe. Notwithstanding our huge humanitarian response, it is unfortunate that it is needed and that the carnage and war across Europe will come with a price for us, as very much a European country.

I empathise with all the people who have contacted me. I have had the same types of telephone calls that Deputies on the Opposition benches are getting, including from farmers, hauliers, householders, single mothers and elderly people who are at their wit's end and wanting to know how they will make ends meet. It is very hard to take those calls but we have to do so and to try to reason with people. Sometimes it is incredibly difficult to do that. The response by the Government to date has been measured. I agree with Members opposite that it would be great if we could do much more. Notwithstanding the Opposition criticism, within the confines of what we can do legally within the European framework and under the legislation that is there, there is not much more that could have been done at this point. That is not to say we will not do more or that we do not need to do more. Already today, we have impressed upon the Taoiseach, when he goes to Europe, the need to speak to our European colleagues and look for the derogations and changes to the rules and regulations that will enable us to do a lot more. This is an unfolding crisis. It is going to get much worse over the coming days and weeks and it will impact on us much more. I thank the Minister for giving us a very informed and concise overview of what we have been able to do, and have done, within the confines of the rules.

I share Deputy Whitmore's concerns regarding price gouging. I grew up in a small community with parents who ran a small rural filling station. I know very well how important small shops and filling stations are to local communities. The actions of a handful of wholesalers, which are large multimillion euro businesses, have really caused division across rural Ireland and set neighbours against their local filling stations. Local people believe it is the station operator who has hiked up the price but that is not the case. It was done by this cartel - there is no other description for it - of five or six companies, which have capitalised on the wanton destruction of a country and the wanton carnage and victimisation of a people who did not ask for what has been delivered on them in recent days. We need to act on this. I have asked An Taoiseach and I ask the Minister now to ensure the CCPC and An Garda Síochána make it their business to make contact with these companies and seek access to their records for recent weeks and information on how they have engaged with the businesses they service and supply. It behoves us as legislators and as an Oireachtas to ensure no company or business can capitalise on the destruction, mayhem and carnage that have been visited on the people of Ukraine.

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