Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do welcome the new TBESS because the first one was way too restrictive. A person on anything other than town gas could not claim for it. I welcome the VAT rate for hospitality; of course I do.

I do not welcome the fact the Government will start taking off the excise exemptions after June and will be charging people extra for fuel. The Government is playing a three card trick here. The wholesale cost of oil is lower than it was in the pre-war period. The war is blamed for everything. It should stop the blame game there. It is the Government's punitive taxes that is causing the price of oil to be so high; it is nothing else, including international factors. Every other country in Europe - I have a list of them - have had windfall taxes but the Government refused to have them. The Government does everything for the corporate big people but nothing for the daoine beaga, the small people, because the Government parties are not interested in them and never were. It is shameful that the Government will try to quote those figures glibly here. We welcome the bits and pieces but the Government has a lucky bag here and if one does not vote for parts of it, one will not get the rest. It is a lucky dip, mar dhea, and we are threatened if we do not vote for it.

The Government's carbon tax cost every man, woman and child in this country an extra €160 last year. This year it will be €180 and next year it will be €210. That is what the Government is doing to help to people. The Government is robbing and fleecing the people and is pretending to throw them crumbs. It is a mockery.

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