Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

While we welcome the reports announced today in many cases, we need more time for debate. We are also concerned about excise duties, which had been reduced, on diesel, petrol, home heating oil and gasoline. They will be phased out gradually by October, as I understand from what I saw in the proposal. This is unheard of at a time when there are record profits out of the litre of petrol, diesel, agri-diesel, home heating oil, and across the board. The Government is trying to implement a green agenda by forcing exorbitant prices on people. That is going to affect the price of every piece of bread, butter, jam, ham or whatever you want if diesel goes up again in price, which the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Ryan, wants. He has won out in this case, obviously. We need more time to debate this issue tomorrow than what we have and we need those supports to be maintained as well for the hard-pressed motorists, hauliers, agricultural people and everybody across the whole sector.

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