First, I want to confirm that the Government will be opposing this motion. I welcome the opportunity to respond to some of the issues raised in the debate on the motion put forward by Sinn Féin on the cost of motoring. Sinn Féin has expressed the view that the May and October 2025 carbon tax increases should be reversed with no further increases taking place. Sinn Féin also calls on the Government to not proceed with toll price increases and to abolish the motor tax surcharge for quarterly and biannual payments. The motion also calls on the Government to progress and enact Sinn Féin's Judicial Council (Amendment) Bill 2021. I have noted the discussion this evening and want to respond by re-emphasising the Government's commitment to supporting households and business in a manner that is fiscally responsible and sustainable over the long term. In particular, the Government has striven to protect those most vulnerable to fuel poverty. This has been shown through successive budgets with targeted welfare interventions, as well as significant investment in the national retrofit programme. Crucially these interventions are funded by funds raised through the carbon tax rate increases. Over recent decades, there have been transformative changes to the national road network, with an inter-urban motorway network now in place and many new road projects delivered. Just one example of this is the Dublin tunnel, which has successfully removed countless heavy goods vehicles off the streets of our capital each day, reducing congestion and improving air quality. This work continues, with construction under way on projects such as the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge, the M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy and the Adare bypass. In addition, much work has taken place on our existing national road network to make it safer for all road users and reduce journeys. Toll revenue has played a major role in this and has contributed to the funding of essential services on the national primary and secondary road network across the country. Examples of these services include pavement repair and renewal, safety and junction improvements and safeguarding the network against the increasing impact of climate change. There is no doubt but that people and businesses face challenges in regard to the cost of living. However, in the absence of toll revenue it would be necessary to meet the resulting shortfall through Exchequer funding. This ultimately would come from the taxpayer. Furthermore, with regard to the use of PPP contracts, I believe these have been instrumental in the rapid development of our road network and in particular, the motorway network. This has enabled the State to risk share with the private sector and avoid incurring upfront costs. When the Government introduced the 2020 action plan for insurance reform, there was a recognition that deep structural issues were driving Irish premiums above international comparators. Legal costs were excessive, personal injury awards lacked consistency and transparency was poor. Through previous reforms, the Government has implemented fundamental changes, including the rebalancing of the duty of care, which adjusted liability expectations and reduced excessive claims; the reform of the Injuries Resolution Board, giving it a stronger mandate as an alternative to costly litigation; the introduction of the personal injuries guidelines, creating greater consistency and predictability in awards; and enhancements to the national claims information database, NCID, thereby transforming the availability of data about costs, premiums and settlements. Premiums in Ireland have fallen by around 34% since 2016. Today, the average private motor premium is €623, compared with £777 in Britain and £834 in Northern Ireland. These differences matter. It represents a shield for households and businesses in a period when costs elsewhere in Europe were rising due to inflation and supply chain costs. The effect of the personal injuries guidelines is having a positive impact on claim settlement procedures with 78% of all claims now being settled under the new guidelines. These structural reforms have provided a shielding effect and are preventing the effect of market pressures from being much worse. Without Government reforms, Irish motorists would now be paying dramatically higher premiums. The latest NCID report demonstrates that the Injuries Resolution Board has an important role to play and continues to be the fastest and most cost-effective way of resolving personal injury claims. It achieves a comparable award for claimants in approximately half the time compared with litigation with significantly lower legal costs. By resolving cases outside the courts, it reduces both claim costs and settlement times, which should result in lower premiums and should benefit all policyholders. High legal costs also remain a challenge and are impacting the cost of motor insurance. The implementation of further legal reform to strengthen the role of the Injuries Resolution Board and amend the Judicial Council Act 2019 to strengthen transparency and implement a robust process for the future review of the personal injuries guidelines are priority actions in the action plan to address further transparency and affordability of insurance. The new action plan features ten priority actions that are focused on areas where the greatest impact on cost and availability can be achieved. They include a focus on transparency in the sector, legal reform, strengthening the powers and remit of the Injuries Resolution Board, a feasibility study on a cap for certain categories of personal injuries awards and measures to reduce both insurance fraud and the number of uninsured drivers. The carbon tax is an integral part of the Government's policy on climate change and supports a move away from fossil fuels in tandem with other policy measures such as the national retrofit programme and the electric vehicle supports. Importantly, the additional yield raised by carbon tax is ring-fenced for climate action and just transition measures. Budget 2026 provides for an allocation of over €1.1 billion towards such measures, which is an additional €163 million on the allocation for 2025's and of this sum, €350 million is allocated to targeted social protection interventions. As of budget 2026, the Government has allocated over €4.2 billion in carbon tax revenue for climate action and just transition measures since 2020. ESRI analysis shows the lower income deciles are better off as a result of the social protection measures funded by the increased carbon tax. Analysis undertaken for budget 2026 using SWITCH, the ESRI tax and benefit model, to simulate the impact of the carbon tax increase and the compensatory welfare package estimates that the net impact of the combined measures is progressive. Half of households are better off due to the measures part-funded by additional carbon tax funds, with households in the bottom four income deciles benefiting the most. I will conclude by stating the Government is at all times cognisant of the challenges facing households and businesses across the country in light of inflationary challenges. The Government has acted decisively and swiftly to provide supports over successive budgets. At the same time, we must be prepared for longer term challenges and make decisions which are fiscally prudent. As I have outlined above, the carbon tax is an important policy tool that supports decarbonisation of society. Revenues raised through increases in the carbon tax are allocated for expenditure related to the just transition and climate action measures. Analysis shows the overall policy to be progressive with the lower income deciles benefiting the most from revenue recycling. As for insurance, I reiterate that the Government remains committed to achieving a competitive and sustainable insurance market in which insurance is affordable and available for everyone. A key focus of the new action plan on insurance reform is working with stakeholders, including insurers, to enhance transparency and promote affordability across all types of insurance. However, the Government is keenly aware of the impact of the cost of insurance on consumers. While the Government has delivered reforms that have reduced claims costs and provided insurers with more predictability, insurers have been slow to pass on savings to consumers. The Government will continue to regularly engage with industry to stress the Government's expectation that these cost savings achieved through the reform agenda are reflected in lower premiums and broader coverage availability for consumers. Finally, turning to tolls and PPP projects, it is important to highlight again the ongoing improvements on our road network, which are necessary to support a growing population and economy. Total revenue has had an important role in funding such improvements as well as the improvements necessary to enhance road safety for all users. PPP contracts have been instrumental in the rapid development of our road network and in particular the motorway network. Accordingly, I do not accept the motion before the House.

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