Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)

People are struggling under relentless cost-of-living crises. Despite that, the Tánaiste's Government has decided to increase carbon taxes. It is going to heap more pressure on workers and families, and we know the carbon tax is regressive. It hits ordinary people on middle and low incomes the hardest, and the Government plans to continue to do this for the next five years, all signed off by Independents who support the Government.

This is at a time when people are struggling with costs. We know that the cost of groceries has gone up. We see double-digit rent increases, crippling childcare costs, and insurance costs going up and up. In the face of all of this and all that pressure, what the Tánaiste and the Cabinet have decided is to put up the price of a bag of coal and of home heating oil, and to make people's gas bills higher. That is the effect of today's increase in carbon tax. Will the Government come to its senses on this issue and stop all carbon tax increases for the next number of years?

See this speech in context