I want to begin by welcoming these statements. They are long overdue. I commend the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and all the Ministers involved in the negotiations over the last weeks. The figures speak for themselves. In four weeks, diesel prices at the pump rose by approximately 25%. For a sector where fuel already accounts for nearly half of all operating costs, that was not an inconvenience, but an existential threat. We are not talking about large multinationals here with deep reserves and teams of financial advisers. We are talking in many cases about sole traders, owner-drivers, family businesses, people who get up before dawn, who keep our supermarket shelves stocked and make sure medicines reach our hospitals and building materials reach our construction sites. Nearly half of all licensed road haulage operators in this country own just one vehicle. If that operator cannot meet their costs, they will have to close down. When they close down, the consequences ripple outward. Higher transport costs mean higher prices for every business they supply and, ultimately, for every household in the country. That is why acting quickly was not optional, but essential. The road transporters support scheme does exactly what good, targeted policy should do. It is graduated, meaning that the smallest of operators who are most vulnerable receive the greatest proportional support at €1,350 per vehicle. It is backdated to 1 March so that no one is left carrying the costs the State has acknowledged they should not have to bear alone. At €120 million over three months, it is a serious, substantial commitment, not just a token gesture. I want to highlight something that sometimes gets overlooked in these debates. This scheme does not stop at main roads. It reaches Local Link services, connecting rural communities. It reaches school transport providers and ferries to our offshore islands, communities that depend entirely on these vessels for their way of life. That is a Government that is thinking about everyone, not just those who shout the loudest. This scheme complements the broader package - the excise reductions, the NORA levy adjustments, and the enhanced diesel rebate scheme - demonstrating that this Government is prepared to use every lever available to protect workers, businesses and consumers. I encourage all eligible operators to prepare their applications when the online portal opens in the Department of Transport in May. The backdating to 1 March means that every qualifying vehicle is already accumulating entitlement. I am actually surprised at the number of small hauliers who are still unaware of the details of the scheme. It is something we need to emphasise in the next few weeks. It needs to be communicated an awful lot better from the top down. A Cheann Comhairle, if I could mention two other issues, I know you have a long history with the haulage sector and I would be interested to hear your thoughts afterwards on a few of these suggestions.

Sentiment score: 0.15

Going forward, we need to look at the tolling system if we are on about protecting supply chains. I am from Little Island in Cork, which is a large industrial area. We have dozens of haulage companies around the harbour area, coming in and out of Ringaskiddy and the city. Cork is a city that is very heavily reliant on the haulage business. We need to have a look at tolling. In certain countries, there are exemptions for HGVs at certain types of tolls. They look at the weight of the truck and so on. That is something we need to consider in an upcoming budget. At the moment, if trucks come from Britain or Northern Ireland, there is no additional levy placed on them whereas if an Irish truck or haulier crosses the Border or goes over to the UK, there is a levy of £10 per truck, I think. Levying money on foreign-registered trucks, particularly in the UK, needs to be looked at. Our hauliers are being levied at the moment. If we are talking about preparing the next package for the next shock that will undoubtedly be felt in this sector, we need to look at other ways of being innovative and how to pay them. Such a scheme might be a way forward in how we contribute to the next package.

Sentiment score: 0.03