Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)

I hear the Minister of State's response but it is very disappointing because he, the Government and the Minister over in Brazil are trying to wash their hands of it. However, the general public and the voters will see right through this because during the last general election campaign, the Minister himself called for the toll hikes to be scrapped.

Has there been a change of mind since then or was it never really meant by the Government? Was it another broken promise in the run-up to the election? Denying responsibility is not going to satisfy people. They know that the Government has the power to stop this because a previous Government did it.

In a rare move in 2023, the then Government actually listened to the Sinn Féin proposals and deferred the toll increases from that January for a period of six months. While that sticking plaster type response did not go far enough, it was better than what the Government is currently planning, which is putting more burdens on drivers already crippled by some of the highest prices for petrol, diesel and insurance in Europe.

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