Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend Deputy Doherty's motion to all Deputies across the House, especially to my fellow Deputies from County Wexford. The Minister for Finance urgently needs to reverse the planned decision to raise petrol and diesel prices in October 2023. These purposeful price increases will add to the already substantial living costs of ordinary families. Wages have stagnated, food inflation is running at 6.6% and rising, rents in my county have increased by 19.5% year on year and fuel inflation is running at 16.4% even before the Government's two planned increases in October. It is plain as day that it is getting harder and harder for families and workers to get by. Most are living from week to week. Hiking the cost of fuel will have the immediate effect of increasing prices across the board. Everyone knows these planned increases in cost will be passed on to consumers one way or another, whether it is through transport and delivery costs or otherwise. This will add hundreds of euro to the average family budget and wipe out their disposable income. God help those who live in rural Ireland as these increases will have an unfairly disproportionate effect on them compared with the rest of the population. The fact is, there is no alternative to using a car in rural Ireland to go to work, to school, to the local sports club or on leisure trips. Small farm holdings are faced with huge additional costs.

The Government says it acknowledges there is a cost-of-living crisis. However, one of its solutions is to increase fuel prices. How can this be? It is a total contradiction. The Government must realise that people are at the edge of managing their incomes and salaries. People such as pensioners, care workers and apprentices are on fixed incomes and, what is more, they cannot keep absorbing the current cost-of-living crisis. Small family businesses are closing every day due to our high energy costs. However, there is still time to do the right thing. The Minister for Finance can cancel his plans to increase the price of petrol and diesel on 11 October and on 31 October, and if the Government truly wants to help with the cost-of-living crisis, it will cancel this unnecessary burden. Take it off the shoulders of ordinary workers, the men and women of this country, and give families a break.

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