Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We are just under two weeks away from the budget and we are in the middle of the worst environment of spiralling inflation and interest rates, which is piling huge, savage pressures on every man, woman and child in this country and every business sector also. Despite these challenges, we have a Government that is on the ropes and completely out of ideas. It is now clear that the Government lacks the required energy, pardon the pun, to decisively help the public and to do what is right. Instead what we witness is a complete detachment from reality and chaotic messaging by Government Ministers.

One of the scariest kites in the political sky at the moment is the Government's projected €6.7 billion tax and spending package for 2023 - regardless, in other words, of what may happen if we have another winter of continuing crisis next year. The Government has completely failed to protect households and businesses from energy price rises. It has continued to drive ahead with more inflationary carbon taxes at a time when energy prices are at their highest level ever. The Government's narrow and disjointed focus on electricity credits, which are a short-term measure, has failed to address the cost of the problem that is there now. There is the coupling of gas and electricity prices and the record level of Government-mandated energy taxes, which are taking in billions in extra income for the Department of Finance. What the Government is doing is a con job, really. It completely rejected all calls from my rural Independent colleagues and me to slash the carbon tax to 5% until this crisis ends - not for ever. The carbon tax should be axed. It is costing every household a minimum of €600 this year. I am talking about the Government's carbon tax, which it voted for, supported by the Opposition as well. The Government then imports oil from dodgy dictators when the Russian supply is cut off.

We are in the worst energy crisis and cost-of-living crisis in generations. Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party, and some Independents, like to add even more fuel taxes to be more punitive and to lump more hardship on ordinary people.

Hiking the carbon tax further in the budget at this time would be completely irresponsible and would send out a clear message that the Government and the Ministers could not care less if people freeze or starve in their houses this winter.

In reality, the carbon tax is an unfair punishment that barely affects the carbon emissions - that is the fact of it - and the Government wants to increase it. The Government voted to increase it annually without even having a debate, so get real here. The Government should stand by the people who elected us all to this Parliament and who now need help, not sending press releases and mixed messages. The Government should cut the carbon tax and all the energy taxes, which would be something tangible we could do in this House, as well as capping the big profits of the electricity companies.

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