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

I am glad to get the opportunity to raise the issue of the cost of fuel, which is impacting on everyone on the road, whether it is the man going to work in the car, the mother taking children to school or the man filling up his lorry to transport goods or filling a construction work vehicle. Kerry is far away from everywhere and is impacted more than many other places. The increase in the cost of fuel is massive. The pumps along the road tell the story, with prices at €2.15 or €2.20 a litre. People are at their wits' end trying to stay on the road.

Work is slowing. People building new houses and even those building one-off houses are pausing and wondering what they will do. Farmers are paying €1.60 or €1.70 a litre for green diesel. Bus operators are tied into contracts. There is a problem with taxis at night; they are just not operating because it is not worth their while. We see where trawlers are parking up. One transport company, close to the Minister in Cork, is parked up this week.

The Government is taking almost double in tax now from fuel than it did 12 months ago. Surely it is time to give back some of the extra tax it has taken to the people on the road? They need it to stay going and October is too far away. There is talk of mini-budgets and emergency budgets but the Minister has said the normal budget time is when it will be dealt with. These are not normal times. People are paying to try to stay on the road and fill their cars or other vehicles. They are not paying normal prices now.

The Government must keep work going and this is the time to intervene. We recognise that the Government gave back 15 cent or 20 cent per litre on fuel a couple of months ago but that is not enough now. Fuel prices have gone way up again and it is now time to intervene and ensure that work stays going. The Government will reap the dividends if work continues anyway but if it stops, the Government will not even get core taxes because people will not be on the road. They cannot stay going and that is the honest truth.

The Government is not aware of how serious the matter is and how people are suffering. People must travel on long journeys to work from Kerry and they are paying massively to fill their cars and try to stay going. These are not normal times and in rural Kerry people cannot travel without a car or some type of vehicle. They are paying more and suffering more. I am asking the Minister to act now and give them back a sizeable amount of the extra tax the Government has taken.

See this speech in context