Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The lack of clarity or any concrete commitment from the Government to extend the financial supports for businesses and households, as has just been discussed, and to mitigate the ongoing high cost-of-living crisis means people are now facing a cliff edge, which the Taoiseach said they would not face. The Government has also completely failed to provide on any clarity as to whether the reduced 9% VAT rate for electricity, gas, petrol and diesel will continue beyond 1 March. People need certainty.

The lack of clarity from the Government in this area is causing significant stress and anxiety for tens of thousands of people. Furthermore, the hospitality sector, which employs 260,000 people and whose season kicks off on 1 March, with bookings going on at the moment, is being left in limbo once again as the Government has made no decision on whether the VAT rate for the sector will continue on the temporary lower rate beyond 1 March. They need certainty. They need to fill rooms, take bookings and employ people.

Leaving such families, motorists, rural residents and the entire hospitality sector in a state of limbo in the middle of a catastrophic cost-of-living crisis is outrageous and underlines the wishy-washy nature of the Government. Ministers are in here defending the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, and dealing with everything bar what they should be dealing with. They are letting the big guys like Gresham House take over our country. Look after the daoine óga and daoine beaga, please.

The lack of clarity in this policy is incredible. It is clear the Government lacks any leadership here, or is it that the three parts are fighting with each other? I heard the Minister say on radio that he thought that excise duty on fuel would need to increase because the cost of fuel had come down. Does he really want to cripple motorists, hauliers and everybody else?

Inflation and the cost-of-living pressures affecting families are extremely harsh at the moment. Families and small businesses deserve to know what is happening. They will deal with it as best they can, but they deserve certainty. The Government's failure to provide clarity here is appalling. I know Government backbenchers are in agreement with what we are saying here, but the tail is wagging the dog because the Minister stated he wanted excise duty to increase again along with carbon tax and everything else. Earlier he said we should come down from the mountains and plant trees on good land. I say he should go back into the hills and stay there with the wolves and everybody else if he will not look after the people he was elected to look after. He can plant whatever trees he wants to plant in the wetlands and the wolves will keep him warm at night. However, they will not heat homes, provide food on the table or support the 260,000 jobs in the hospitality sector. Is the Government trying to wipe out that industry altogether?

We need decisive action. The Minister told Deputy Tóibín that there would not be a cliff edge and the Government would deal with it. When? It is only four and a half weeks until 1 March and what will we do then? Will we wait for another crisis?

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