Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am very glad to get another opportunity to talk about the serious matter of the infliction of extra charges to people all over the country. The Minister wants to carry on his crusade of increasing the carbon tax and penalise many sectors and people all over the country, especially in rural Ireland. Sadly, I believe he is not doing any good, only harm, in Government. I was brought up being told that if you cannot do any good for people, please do not hurt or harm them.

The understanding was, in the first place, that the carbon tax on diesel, petrol and kerosene was a measure by the Government to coax people away from those fuels and types of vehicles to electric vehicles and to use electric heating in their homes. However, the Government does not have the infrastructure in place for electric cars and it certainly does not have the facility to generate extra electricity. The Minister has to realise that the savage global increase in the cost of fuels in the past six months makes fuel already more expensive than people can bear or afford. This carbon tax has not one iota of an effect on reducing emissions. The Government must realise that enough is enough and there is a place called stop. It has to forget about another increase in the carbon tax.

This carbon tax increase will mean that car users will pay more than €10 more to fill their tanks. Lorry drivers will pay €80 or €100 in carbon tax to fill their tanks on top of excise and VAT. I fear the haulage industry will grind to a halt. Farmers and agricultural contractors are now being asked to pay €50 to €70 per day in carbon tax alone to keep their tractors going and do the vital seasonal work that has to be done to ensure a fodder supply for our animals and that crops are sown and reaped to have food for all the people of our country.

From 1 May, the carbon tax increase on top of the current carbon tax will mean people will have to pay €106.07 more in carbon tax on a 900 l tank of home heating oil. The Minister of State said the Government is giving money back to the people. What is it giving back to the people in respect of rural public roads? It gave money for 12 schemes out of 676 schemes that are on a list below in Kerry. People are banging in and out of potholes and ruts in roads with tractors and cars. That is what the Government gave them back out of all the tax they are paying.

The Minister of State said the Government is giving more out in fuel allowance, but people on benefit payments do not qualify for any fuel allowance. People on jobseeker’s, illness, enhanced illness, occupational injuries, maternity or disabled benefits, or a pensioner living with a cancer patient on illness benefit, will not qualify for the fuel allowance. Yet the Government wants to cripple these people further by increasing the carbon tax for heating their homes and driving their cars. Shame on the Minister.

This Government has made no attempt in providing alternative energy since it started. It has closed down Bord na Móna. The cost of electricity has gone up every day and there is no real alternative, only drawing coal from Russia to keep Moneypoint going. There are incentives in place for private sources to supply energy to the grid. There are several options that could be explored, such as solar panels, and people could be exempted from tax on those. I ask the Minister to ensure that, if he opens up that scheme, he will not raid people’s properties that are supplying carbon tax.

The Minister crossed the line with turf. He went far beyond the line when he suggested that people should stop cutting and selling turf. It is all the same because when you mention turf in rural Ireland, you are hurting everyone in rural Ireland.

We had a vote on the carbon tax a couple of weeks ago. I am asking Sinn Féin respectfully now to-----

See this speech in context