Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, knows, I come from a rural constituency in County Mayo. We do not have the transport options of those living in urban areas. How many times do we have to say that we are reliant on cars to get where we need to go? The nearest train station to me is an hour away. It is a six-hour round trip to University Hospital Galway, which many patients have to attend on a regular basis.

Before 1 April, the price of petrol and diesel was already weighing heavily on household budgets. We asked the Minister to take the decision not to increase petrol by 13 cent and diesel by 9 cent before 1 April. On my way up here earlier today, the cost of petrol was €1.859 per litre. It cost almost €90 to fill the tank. Many people have to fill their cars twice or even three times a week. For someone on a low wage or who relies on social welfare, even one fill is not manageable.

People are absolutely sick and tired of listening to the Government use the phrase "But Sinn Féin". The parties in government continue to do so after 13 years in office. I heard the Minister say it earlier. We have always said that the level of excise on petrol and diesel should be kept under constant review during the cost-of-living crisis. It is a dynamic situation and it requires a dynamic response. This is why we have this motion here before the House today. All Sinn Féin is asking of the Government is flexibility and common sense. There are some things the Government does not have control over but excise duty is not one of them. Removing the hike in excise duty levied on 1 April and halting the increases planned for August and October would show that the Government has some understanding of the financial struggle households are enduring right now.

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