Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to have the opportunity to discuss the important issues of excise duty, VAT and the significant cost of fuel for people on the road. The Minister stated that excise duty and VAT rates would be increased in, I believe, June and September. I appeal to him not to restore the rates of excise duty and VAT unless the cost of fuel imports reduces to what it was in January 2022 before the war. People will not be able to afford it. There are those who cannot manage without a car or other form of transport. They have to use a vehicle, be it powered by diesel or petrol, to get to work.

I was over in New York and New Jersey a week ago at my uncle's funeral. There was no diesel vehicle to be seen anywhere, only the largest of V8 petrol Jeeps and cars. There was not a single word said about carbon or the like. We are all under the one sky – the same moon and sun shine over there, albeit at different times of the day and night, given the time difference.

People in Ireland may not travel to America but they know what is going on there. We need to be fair about it and Irish people always play their part but they are being vilified and demonised in a desperate way. They should not be. Our people are as good as any people in any part of the world but they are not being treated as such. There is a green tail wagging the dog and they are giving people an awful lot of grief. In Germany there is no problem in the world and they are opening up coal mines again. They are even moving a village to open a coal mine. Yet, there is a Minister here who says we cannot burn turf or sell a bag of turf or we cannot sell it online or whatever rubbish he is on about. It does not make any sense in the world. Then, other people are freezing with the cold because they cannot purchase oil or coal due to the cost of it. Single people who are may be just on a pension cannot live with the carbon tax and the increase in fuel.

The basic thing I wish to tackle is the cost of green diesel. White diesel went up to €2 and €2.20, but if we go back before the war, green diesel was 38 cent per litre and white diesel was about €1.20 per litre. Both started to rise and then at one particular time - I do not have the date - green diesel was 90 cent per litre and white diesel was around €1.90 per litre. All of a sudden, green diesel went up in one week to €1.40 per litre, then to €1.45 per litre, and it reached €1.50 per litre. Today, it is €1.21 per litre. I want to know what is happening with green diesel.

I called for an investigation into fertiliser yesterday. I want an investigation and answer on this for the people using green diesel. It is not right. Something is wrong. Extra money is being charged. It is basically farmers who use green diesel. As I understand, it all comes in as white diesel but somewhere along the line Revenue gets at it and puts green dye into it, which is how it is marked gas oil at a lesser price. It is almost on par with white diesel now. I want an answer to that. I will be asking the Minister about it again. It is important and means an awful lot to many people. It is very hurtful and it is the difference between keeping going and not keeping going. Something happened somewhere along the line. It did not go up at the same rate as white diesel or petrol. It went up double or treble. It is now €1.20 per litre but before these increases started, it was 38 cent per litre. White diesel was €1.20 per litre, but now it is €1.70. There is a massive difference which must be examined and explored. We need to be told what happened or how it happened and given an explanation for why it is so exorbitantly dear today. I am interested in that issue.

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