The cost of living is one of the biggest issues that people raise in my constituency office. People are struggling to make ends meet. Workers are handing over more than half of their wages in rent. They can barely cover their bills, put diesel in their cars, food on the table or pay for childcare and ever-increasing insurance costs. The cost of fuel is crippling people as they go about their daily business. Sinn Féin has pushed every step of the way for the Government to do the right thing. While other parties, including the sponsors of the motion, were sleeping away last week, Sinn Féin, through Deputy Doherty, put forward amendments to the Finance Bill to reduce the cost of petrol and diesel at the pumps. We have also submitted an amendment to today's motion to improve it. Last week, we had to listen to what I can only describe as a rant from Independent Ireland regarding Sinn Féin's policy on carbon tax. Independent Ireland was caught out in its misrepresentation. The Dáil record does not lie. Here are the facts. For those down the back who may struggling with what I am going to say or who hear what they want to hear, carbon tax was brought in by Fianna Fáil in 2010. Sinn Féin opposed it. Some Independent Ireland Deputies were members of Fianna Fáil when it introduced the carbon tax in 2010. Sinn Féin opposed the carbon tax in 2012, 2013, 2019 and at every opportunity since. The climate action Bill had absolutely nothing to do with carbon tax. Carbon tax is not mentioned in the Bill. Independent Ireland and others having a different opinion about Sinn Féin on policy matters is great and is called having political differences and engaging in political discourse. I am happy to argue with them any day of the week, but they should not make things up because people will see through them.

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