Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

First, the genius of a Minister who told people to slow down today would want to hurry up or get faster in government at making decisions with the situation that is evolving at present. I support what the Minister is doing tonight. It is the first step of the stairs, but, by God, he has a few more steps to go over the coming weeks because the people are desperate. The reality is that there is no break for people with home heating oil. I ask the Minister to look at the VAT on that. The VAT he is getting now compared with 18 months ago is a lot more. The same applies to the green diesel. The VAT could be reduced. We were able to do it for the hotel sector, so we should be able to do it for those two sectors, at least.

Second, there has been commentary that people with lorries can draw the VAT rebate. Not everyone can, as one must be a registered haulier. Most lorries in Ireland are not owned by registered hauliers. They are owned by ordinary people who have lorries going around the place doing different types of work. Also, bus operators cannot draw back the VAT. That is something the Minister must look at and make a change in the Finance Act.

There is one thing happening. I am not blaming the Minister tonight. I welcome what is coming but we need to do more because people are at their wits' end. However, there is racketeering. I wrote on Monday to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission about it. It needs to get off its arse at what is going on in this country. Everybody knows there was always 65 cent to 67 cent of excise on white diesel, as against green diesel. There was always that difference, plus VAT at 23% as against VAT at 13.5%. There was a substantial difference between the two diesels. Tonight we are being quoted €1.70 or €1.80 in places for green diesel and one can buy white diesel at €2 or €2.15, so there is something going on with racketeering. Have the surcharges being imposed on lorries going into Dublin tonight been looked at? Have the surcharges going into Derry tonight been looked at? What is being put on top of the price is fairly substantial. On top of that, what is the rebate that is being given back if somebody uses more diesel or is a good customer? Is that talked about anywhere? No. It all needs to come out in the washing about the rebate, because it is pretty substantial.

For the past ten years when one went to a filling station petrol was always 5 cent to 10 cent more. Why tonight in Tuam is the price €2.27 for diesel and €2.19 for petrol, and this is the top grade? What sort of gouging or racketeering is going on with the importers and distributors of oil in this country? We need to make sure that the people who are put in place to look after this are not sitting in fancy offices. They should be out there confiscating the computers or iPads to see what is going on in this country. The Minister can give 5 cent or 10 cent. Last night and the night before took that money with how the price was put up.

If the racketeering keeps going, we can vote whatever we want through here but there should always be 60 cent to 70 cent between the price of 1 litre of green diesel and 1 litre of white diesel, and 1 litre of kerosene and 1 litre of white diesel.

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