Every family, small business and commuter in rural Ireland is being squeezed not by choice, but by the weight of taxes and charges this Government keeps piling on. Independent Ireland has said from the start that the cost-of-living crisis did not fall from the sky but is being driven by Government decisions on taxation, overspending and waste. We support this motion because it recognises what people feel every day, which is that motoring has become unaffordable and unfair. These so-called green taxes have become another way to drain the pockets of working people, especially in rural Ireland. Independent Ireland has called for a freeze on regressive green taxes that hit low- and middle-income families hardest. We agree with the call to reverse the latest carbon tax hikes but we would go further. We want a total rethink of how we balance climate responsibility with economic reality. It is not green to push people into poverty while offering no real public transport alternative. In some cases, transport is being delivered but small villages like Corran and Drinagh have no transport at all by day. That must be tackled. There is another issue the Minister of State must tackle. It is a very serious issue I emailed him about yesterday. It is happening more often than once. I am talking about the absence of reciprocal agreements for people who hold licences from other countries. A gentleman came to me this weekend. This is happening regularly. He had driven in Ireland and had a licence. He moved to Connecticut and worked there for many years. He then moved to Belgium and transferred his licence from Connecticut to Belgium. There was no issue there. He has been driving in Ireland for the last 12 months. He thought he would just have to renew his licence because there is an agreement between Belgium and Ireland. What happened? He found out that, because of his licence transfer in Connecticut 16 years ago, he cannot get a licence in Ireland. It is an astonishing situation. This man is no cost to the State. He is providing absolutely brilliant advice. He is a great man to work in his community. He now faces an inability to drive - I am sorry because this might not be the responsibility of the Minister of State personally - because the Department across the way from here is asleep at the wheel. People from New York or Chicago cannot come back to work in this country because we have no reciprocal agreements in place. I am told the Government could sign a unilateral agreement that would allow this gentleman to drive. His wife is in the same situation. They cannot drive in Ireland after paying huge money to buy a house, coming back here and investing in our economy. We have slammed the door in their faces. I was astounded. I gave this man a half an hour in my office the other day that I could ill afford to give but I did because I was astounded. As a politician, I am embarrassed to tell him there is no way, unless the Minister of State can do something. I would appreciate it if he could give me an answer today. He may not be able to do so today but he could certainly do so in the next day or two. It is a huge issue and it is something that is of great importance to people right across the world and not just in Connecticut and Belgium.

Sentiment score: 0.05