Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is no reflection on the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I understand the fact the amendments were directly opposite to each other.

This is a missed opportunity for the Government and, indeed, this House to do the right thing. We have a serious problem right across the board, in every village and every community, where families are hard-pressed as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. The Government has its head in the sand about home heating oil. For the life of me I do not understand how, when the cost of home heating oil has increased by 127%, the response of the Government, collectively, can be to increase that further while hiding behind the fact that it is a carbon tax. The people who are struggling to keep their homes warm do not care what the tax is called. They expect the Government and their representatives to represent them and address their interests in their time of need.

The Government has again refused to support amendments that would have reduced the pressure on ordinary families across the board, not only with home heating oil, but with petrol, diesel and in support of our agricultural community. It is an indictment of this Government, which is very much out of touch with ordinary people. We did not oppose the most important part of this legislation, which was to reduce VAT temporarily from 13.5% to 9%. I put on the record that we called for a VAT reduction about six months ago and for the Government to engage with the Commission. The first formal engagement was this March. Those letters still have not been published. None of that engagement resulted in the changes, because these changes were in draft form as late as last year.

Sometimes, I think I would be better off banging my head against the wall instead of asking the Government to respond to the real needs of ordinary families and workers, but I will do it once again. The Government should reduce excise on home heating oil. It should reduce the cost of petrol, diesel and agricultural diesel. It should stop pushing up prices on necessities for families to keep their homes warm. On Sunday, it allowed the cost to fill a tank with home heating oil to increase by €20, which is nothing short of scandalous.

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