Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, on this Sinn Féin motion on the rising cost of home heating fuels and to respond to some of the issues that were raised in the debate. Sinn Féin has expressed the view that the May carbon tax increase should be cancelled, excise duty on home heating oil should be temporarily removed and plans to regulate the sale of turf should be scrapped. I have listened carefully to the debate this evening and will take this opportunity to remind Deputies of the rules governing energy taxation in Ireland and to highlight the importance of carbon tax to Government policy on climate action. I also will reiterate some of the measures put in place by the Government to mitigate the impacts of price increases.

Many contributors spoke about the pressures on people, whether in rural or urban Ireland, in dealing with the cost of living and rising inflation in recent months. We all get that and want to work on it. The initiatives brought forward by various Ministers have seen more than €2 billion of taxpayers' money being used to take the pressure off people and reduce their costs. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, went through some of those initiatives earlier. We recognise that they do not alleviate every pressure or cost for people and families throughout the country, regardless of where they live. There is no one denying that. We want to work continually on this issue and respond as best we can.

I compliment some of the speakers tonight. However, comments about rural Ireland being on its knees are not fair on rural areas. I was in a part of Kerry today where 2,500 jobs have been created by one company, Fexco. Every part of rural Ireland has stories like that. There are parts under pressure, just as there is pressure in some urban areas, but the constant debate in here about how rural Ireland is dying or on its knees is not fair on our rural areas. There are many parts of rural Ireland that are thriving and I want to work with Departments to enhance and develop them. I ask Deputies not to keep talking down our own country. People in those parts of rural Ireland have ambitions and want to thrive. They want to avail of Government schemes, create jobs and do well. They do not want to be insulted in here by being told their areas are dying. That will not help them to attract the investment they need from any Department, whether in jobs, education or anything else. Deputies should not continue to insult rural Ireland. We accept that some parts need extra help or need to be regenerated.

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