The Government is choosing to make driving more expensive. Instead of getting prices under control and ending the rip-off, the Government is actually making things worse. Election promises are now in the rear view mirror, disappearing like snow off the ditch. We have seen the biggest budget deliver massive tax cuts for developers, investors and landlords, but nothing for workers. Every worker will be worse off next year. If a person drives to work, they will be hit with a double whammy. It starts with standing idly by as insurance companies rip people off. Instead of standing up to the insurance companies, the Government makes excuses for them. The average claim cost per policy costs the insurance company less than €400, but the average premium is far over €600 and far higher than that for young people. That is the simple fact that no industry spin can change. I have no doubt that Government TDs will stand up and defend the indefensible. They will parrot industry lines. They can dress it up whatever way they like, but we are getting ripped off and the Government is letting it happen. On top of that, we have carbon tax hikes. Each and every year, that is the Government's plan for the next number of years. The Government is planning to add 10 cent to the price of every litre of petrol and 12 cent to every litre of diesel. No one can seriously still believe that this is an environmental measure. We have seen in recent years sky-high petrol and diesel prices and people still had to drive to work, bring their kids to school and make appointments because driving is a necessity for many people. It is madness to think that this price hike will do anything other than make life harder for people in my constituency and elsewhere across the State. How many times did we hear the Independents jumping up and down about carbon tax only to jump into bed with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael at the first chance? We saw Michael Healy-Rae roaring last month when we called him out. He wants people to believe that carbon tax hikes have nothing to do with him. First, we have Micheál Martin saying that the banks were never bailed out. Then, we have Simon Harris saying he never signed the dodgy children's hospital contract. Now, we have Michael Healy-Rae saying that he has nothing to do with price hikes on petrol and diesel. You could not make it up. Here is the chance - the chance to vote to scrap carbon tax increases and let us see whose side they are on. This is a chance to vote against carbon tax increases and tolls going up in January and to stop the insurance rip-off. It is another chance to deal with one of the meanest Government penalties that there is, which is the punishment for anyone who cannot afford to pay their motor tax in one go. How it works is that if a driver, for any reason, cannot afford their motor tax and needs to pay it in instalments, then this Government charges them more. A person hits a financial patch of trouble and the Government hits them with a penalty. It is mean, it is wrong and it sends out the wrong message that the Government could not care less. This is an opportunity. I commend Deputy Daly on bringing this motion before the Dáil because it is time that we made life affordable. Let us start by making driving affordable. The least the Government should do is not make it worse but that is exactly what it is doing at this point in time.

Sentiment score: -0.05