Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In a recent radio interview, a Deputy from west Cork said carbon tax was difficult but good. I could not believe how anyone could be so far removed from his constituents. Just imagine every farmer, fisherman and hard-working father and mother in west Cork, who are now worried beyond words, wondering where they will get the money to buy food or fill the oil tank. That statement, made by a rural Government Deputy, mesmerised many, who mentioned it to me. I will tell the Minister how impossible carbon tax is to pay, on top of every other expense. Parents, businesses, farmers and fishermen are on the phone to me day and night because of the cost of fuel to be used to take the kids to school, drive to work, fill the tractor to draw feed for cattle or fill the boat to take the crew out to fish for the week. They are telling me in their hundreds to do whatever it takes to prevent the Government from applying this additional Government tax known as carbon tax, including a vote of no confidence, if it has to come to that. That is how angry they are.

As I said, they cannot afford to fill their home heating tanks or their cars or tractors with fuel. Some fishermen have told me it is not worth their while going out onto the water and that this country does not pay them to go fishing because they cannot afford to go for a full week. This additional increase, which will come in May, is coming in order that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael can remain in government and keep the Green Party happy. It is time to wake up. This country is on its knees. Old people are freezing in their homes with no heating, in some cases because they earn €1 more than the fuel allowance threshold. This payment also needs to be considered. Representatives of farm contractors visited Leinster House last week. They cannot afford the fuel for their machinery. That is the bottom line. Farmers cannot afford to pay hauliers, so many of them have decided to go out of business.

Government Members are standing idly by and allowing all this to happen. This Government is grinding this country to a halt and it is time to move out, as it has the economy of the country almost ruined.

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