Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)

We all know the issues that exist at the minute in relation to the cost-of-living crisis. The Government's budget did not have any solutions for those who are suffering at this time, whether we are talking about the issues of insurance, rent or the cost of housing in general. There are also the insurance companies, and anybody who recently had to buy shopping will realise the cost of everything. That is the way it has been explained to me by many people.

If we are talking about roads, we know the addition of carbon taxes means we will have really significant fuel costs. The idea of carbon tax was to dissuade people. We all know a number of things have changed since, including post Covid and the cruel invasion of Ukraine by Russia. That changed the nature of it. We saw fuel prices go through the roof. Anyone who can possibly avoid driving does that now. I do not see any logic in keeping adding on the pain. As has been brought up by many previously, it also creates an anomaly in Border areas and creates an issue for those who are trying to sell fuel in the part of the world I come from. That is an issue that could be dealt with.

Those are not the only costs that have gone up in the last while. There is the cost of tolls. Sinn Féin has offered its solutions on that but these were thrown back in our face by the Government. The Government is not overly worried about those particular issues, but the fact is an awful lot of people out there are absolutely feeling the pain. If we are talking about cross-Border issues that are impacting on hauliers, my party colleague Cathy Bennett spoke about the issue of tachographs from the technical point of view. She lives in a place, like me, where you could cross the Border over and back a number of times. It does not make sense that someone would have to technically get out to switch an apparatus around and all the rest of it. There is also an requirement for HGV drivers to pay, generally before they have crossed the Border, a €10 levy. The issue with that is that if they are caught and have not done it, travelling from South to North, they can get a €300 on-the-spot fine. This is an issue the Minister needs to bring up with his counterparts in Britain. We have given voice to it but, like an awful lot of cross-Border issues, it has just remained. Again, there are a number of anomalies.

I remember the Tánaiste previously talked about the need for some sort of facility whereby these issues could be dealt with rather than having them just lie and continue on. We have seen the positives in relation to Queen's, DkIT and that partnership, but we need to make sure we make it easier for those who live on this island to be able to operate across it.

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