Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)

I wish the Deputy Leader a happy May Day, but it is also International Workers' Day. I want to highlight the ongoing penalisation of workers who have to commute to and from work every day. Thousands of people commute from Cavan to Dublin and during this commute they pass six tolls on a return journey.

The Government took in €4 billion in fuel tax last year, €1.2 billion of which was carbon tax. Carbon tax adds 17 cent onto every litre of petrol and diesel. These carbon taxes will keep increasing. The Government is cashing in on the hardship of those who are simply trying to go to work, make a living and provide for themselves and their families. Amazingly, Aontú was the only party in the Dáil to vote against the climate action Bill which paved the way for carbon tax under the previous Government. We knew that this would put immense financial pressure on people and that an alternative approach should have been taken.

The constant rises in excise tax and tolls see the Government committing highway robbery at the expense of its own citizens, particularly workers. These constant increases in taxes are not reflected in the state of our roads or, for that matter, in any of the other public services. People who are travelling to work from Cavan - plasterers, plumbers, electricians, teachers and nurses - end up paying approximately €2,000 a year on tolls. They do not have any option to avoid this payment, or any steps they can take to reduce the financial hardship.

One of the best ways we can support workers is to make their commute more cost-effective by reducing the cost of fuel and investing in the road network. The Government should not be profiteering off its people during a cost-of-living crisis.