Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for missing the start of the question. The specific question to the Minister of State is on soaring fuel prices and the impact they are having on workers and families. The Government introduced minimal reductions in excise measures in March and it has done nothing since in respect of the huge cost and burden of fuel prices on workers and families. We are four weeks away from recess and if the Government does not introduce a measure within those four weeks, we will be looking at the end of September or October. I dread to think what fuel prices will be at that stage. The implications of further increases in fuel prices for so many workers and families do not bear thinking about because they are already stretched to the limit. There is also an additional burden that the increase in fuel prices brings because everything is transported and when those transport costs increase so does the price of everything else, including foodstuffs. Will the Minister of State introduce measures that will help ease that burden before the summer recess?

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