Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

A lot of language has been bandied about today. Phrases such as "legally permissible" and "comply with EU directives" have been used. The most important point is the price gouging. The price gouging that is going on is the tax on tax from the Government. All of the Minister's colleagues today said that they would go along with his measures. The Government is actually robbing the people. As I said earlier today, Dick Turpin wore a mask. That is the price gouging that is going on. There is tax on tax. There is nothing new to be had from that the Minister is introducing except poverty. It pains me to stand here and think that no one in Government is listening to a word being said. Practical common sense is falling on deaf ears. I may have appeared engaged and exercised earlier, but for good reason. I have people from every walk of life contacting me, telling me that they can no longer afford to go to their chemotherapy appointment once a week because of the price of fuel. I will read a message that I received from a carer.

I am a home carer for the Irish Wheelchair Association. My contract is ten hours. Most weeks I work 35 to 40 hours. I get 23 cent a kilometer, but I do not get paid for my first or last call, nor do I get return mileage. If I get the client or the patient up in the morning, I cannot claim my mileage. I cannot go back to them to put them to bed. I work from the north of County Wexford to the south of County Wexford. My average mileage is 250,000 km per month, but I can only claim half of that. The cost of fuel has stopped me from doing what I regard as extra cover calls because I cannot afford to keep the car going. It is now costing me money to stay in my job. I cry a lot because I know that there are people left unchanged in soiled beds, unshowered and unfed because of this. I implore you, Verona, there will be no home carers left if something is not done. My six calls today will take me nine and a half hours with driving time between calls, but I only get paid for six hours. I do not get lunch, but that does not bother me. What does bother me is that I love my job; I simply cannot afford to keep doing it. Please, please do the right thing.

I will read another one.

Hi Verona, I am a private small bus operator with six buses. Fuel price increases have meant that bus costs have risen for each bus by €120 a week. The total increase is €720. My runs involve 200 families, which means an extra €36 per family, and rising week on week. My drivers want an increase because it is costing them more to travel to collect the bus. I am losing money. I cannot go another week and I am looking at going bust. I do not wish to let 200 families down, but I have no choice. Government did nothing. This is the straw that broke the camel's back. Take care.

Many businesses are on the verge of bankruptcy. The supply chain is badly affected, but the biggest losers here will be the citizens on the low or marginal incomes as costs spiral out of control.

The invasion of Ukraine has compounded post-pandemic pressures, as has the inaction of the Government on mounting inflation that was already seriously impacting rural communities, over and above urban centres. No infrastructure exists in rural Ireland as an alternative to using a car. Even though the tax comes from rural Ireland also, there is no public transport network. If you need a car to go to work but cannot afford to run it, you join the social welfare queue.

The response of the Taoiseach on Leaders' Questions this afternoon was utter rubbish. That is all we have been hearing for the past two days from people who have constructed a narrative to accommodate a lot of stupidity and nervousness from many people who, it appears, do not know what they are doing. We heard the Taoiseach give the leader of Sinn Féin a lecture in what you can and cannot do within the rules of the EU. I could have told him he was wrong but I did not get around to it. The speech by the Taoiseach was a disgrace. He seemed to imply that he could do no more. The fact is that under EU legislative frameworks that are here on a national level, he and his Government can reduce excise duties, the carbon tax and VAT as much as they like, and they can even go as far as zero VAT rates if they so choose. There is nothing to prevent the Government removing excise duties, VAT and carbon tax but the Taoiseach is hiding behind the legislative framework because the Government does not know what to do. There is no one in the Government with any vision or guts to assist him in that regard. Since this morning, I have had an opportunity to do more research. There is no reason the Government cannot remove all the taxes, excise duties and VAT other than trying to justify a narrative concocted so that it does not have to reduce the VAT. It is all cock and bull; a diatribe if ever there was one.

The position of the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, and that of his Government will cost the taxpayer billions as a result of the increase in costs that will arise in every other facet of government, such as the pay demands that will come from the civil and public service, including gardaí, teachers and nurses, all of whom will complain they cannot afford to drive to work. There will be increased unemployment benefit payouts for those who cannot afford to go to work. The cost of getting children to school will increase. Elderly people will have to go into nursing homes because their carers will not be able to afford the petrol or diesel that allowed them to be carers. Where has all this been factored into the calculations the Taoiseach put forward this afternoon? All we are hearing is a diatribe. There is no fact or legislation to support what the Taoiseach is saying.

We are in exceptional times that require exceptional measures, and the treaties provide for exceptional measures to be taken in exceptional times. The Government must get brave. It had better take these steps so as to avert a wider economic crisis. It needs to stop the spin. Nobody has any confidence or belief in this spin any longer. Normal rules can be set aside in emergency. It should take the temporary emergency measure. Meaningful action is what is required. Need I remind the Minister that if the Government does not take such action, that will result in serious inflationary consequences that will be catastrophic for the people of this country? He should remove the tax on the tax. He should remove the excise duties, carbon tax, the National Oil Reserves Agency levy and the VAT. He should take the steps required nationally. He should save the economy. That is his job and if he cannot do it, he should let somebody in who can.

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