Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have no doubt the Minister's objectives are well intentioned and I applaud his aspiration but I am not sure he understands the unintended consequences of the Government's lack of action. If a person is living on the Hook Peninsula on the Wexford coast and has to drive to Wexford town every day to work, there is no use in the Minister telling that person to use public transport as the cost will be reduced. There is none. There is no use in telling the carer who might cover as much as 30 km to 40 km on their day visiting those who are at home and incapacitated and most in need of support. That carer is now giving up work. The question is why we are not doing something to prevent this.

I am sorry but the Minister is completely offside when he says we cannot control our own excise duties. I have listened in relation to VAT and I accept the EU may have governance over our VAT regime but it does not have it over our excise duties, carbon tax or NORA levy. All of these the Government could remove but has not. We have people who are drawing social welfare because they do not feel the need to go hungry or freeze in their homes. The Minister himself said the Government would look after those on social welfare, and that is where we will drive them to.

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