I fully support this motion and its calls for the Government to stop price hikes to petrol and diesel and to end the penalty imposed on people who cannot afford to pay motor tax in one single payment and the proposed toll increase planned for January 2026. It is an extremely expensive time to be a motorist, especially in rural areas like Donegal, where we are forced to drive due to the lack of public transport and where the only form of public transport we have is a bus. Anyone without a car in rural Ireland faces social and economic exclusion due to this. Work, education and shops are all held to ransom by the limited transport services we have. My constituents are bearing the brunt of motor costs and it is completely unfair, especially in a cost-of-living crisis. Households are struggling to pay their bills, fill their tanks and keep food on the table and it is unacceptable. Families are faced with very difficult decisions on whether they can afford to make journeys they once made. This is particularly the case for families in rural areas and families impacted by the defective concrete crisis, where the parents have to travel very long distances to gain school access, work, sports and after-school activities and public amenities such as playgrounds, parks and swimming pools. Parents want their children to have the same opportunities that they had and they are being compromised. The current cost-of-living crisis is affecting every aspect of people's lives and motoring is definitely at the forefront of this. Parents in defective homes are already forced to make so many unfair decisions on their families. They have to decide whether to send their children to college or allocate the funds to rebuild their already damaged, crumbling homes, if they are fortunate enough to be in a position to do so. Whether people pay rent or halt education or healthcare, essential living costs are going by the wayside just to keep the cars on the road rolling. There are costs to families that are just not fair. There is also a higher risk of accidents when it comes to cars on the roads, Relying completely on cars as a mode of transport can be dangerous, especially in Donegal, because so many rural roads are not fit for purpose. For example, the N13 road in Drumkeen, where I live, has seen numerous accidents on the 2 km stretch approaching the village. Unfortunately, people have lost their lives. This is down to the fact that the roads need to be upgraded and safety measures need to be put in place, but these are not being done. On the route from Letterkenny to Ballybofey, the bus has to stop in the middle of a junction to let people out. They cannot even put a bus stop down, going into Ballybofey. It is a disadvantage to the town of Drumkeen and to the Finn Valley. In this day and age, it is a ridiculous situation, but as per usual, Donegal is the forgotten county.

Sentiment score: -0.34