I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on the supports needed for hauliers and supply chains but also the wider reality facing working people across Ireland. We cannot underestimate how vital the haulage industry is in keeping our society running. Hauliers are the backbone of our economy. They keep food on the shelves, medicines in the pharmacies and goods moving in every town, village and community across the country. When crises hit, it is often the hauliers who are the first to feel it. When global effects of illegal wars and the instability associated with the Trump and Netanyahu started war began to be felt in Ireland in recent weeks, it was the hauliers who were at the cutting edge of the crisis along with the agricultural sector. They raised the alarm early about the spiralling fuel costs and the growing pressures facing families, businesses and workers alike. I raised this in the Chamber before the protests as in my constituency of Dublin Fingal West, I have been contacted by growers who are rapidly facing increasing financial costs. I ask the Minister and Minister of State to consider supports for our growers who use gas to heat their glasshouses. For example, the heating bill of Welgro Produce in Rush will go from €200,000 to €400,000 this year, based on gas prices, which puts their survival in jeopardy. A small number of growers use it and we do not have a large community of growers left. From a food security point of view, we cannot afford to lose them. The Government's announcement of fuel supports for the sector was necessary and welcome. Without intervention, many operators, particularly small and medium-sized firms, will be pushed to the brink. The Irish haulage industry is overwhelmingly made up small and medium enterprises. Some are family run businesses, local employers and owner-drivers who are deeply embedded in their communities. They are also highly fuel intensive by nature, which means they have been among the sectors hardest hit by the rising energy costs. The Labour Party has called for and welcomed the supports to keep exposed sectors operating during this crisis, including support for hauliers who are absolutely essential to our economy and supply chains. While immediate relief is essential, we also have to ask ourselves a bigger question. How do we stop Ireland from being exposed to these shocks in the future? What this crisis has shown us very clearly is that we cannot continue stumbling from one emergency package to another while leaving the underlying problems unresolved. Whether we are talking about hard-pressed households or exposed industries, the lesson is the same. Short-term supports matter but long-term change is more important. The crisis has illustrated just how important investment in clean renewable energy really is, not just as a climate measure but, more importantly, at this point as an energy security measure and a cost-of-living measure. If we continue to depend so heavily on imported fossil fuels, then workers, farmers, families and businesses will continue to pay the price every time global instability raises its head and drives up the cost of energy. That is why we must strategically invest in the haulage sector and support a just transition for workers and businesses in the industry. We need to support hauliers in shielding themselves from fossil fuel shocks by accelerating the decarbonisation of the haulage fleet. At the moment, Ireland remains heavily dependent on diesel-powered heavy good vehicles. That leaves our supply chains extremely vulnerable, and businesses exposed every time there is volatility in the international energy market. However, this does not have to be the case. Countries across Europe and around the world are moving rapidly to electrify their haulage fleets. They understand that doing so is not just good for the environment but it is good for economic resilience, supply chain security and long-term affordability. Here in Ireland, the Department of Transport's zero emissions heavy duty scheme, which is welcome, is supposed to be the key tool for supporting this transition. While it is welcome, it could be working more effectively. If we are serious about modernising our haulage sector and protecting it from future crises, then we need to see a far greater investment in this scheme and stronger incentives for businesses to make the switch. At present, the pace of progress simply does not match the scale of the challenge. Yet we know that where governments take the issue seriously and provide the right supports, businesses respond positively. Hauliers understand the long-term advantages of electrification, such as lower operational costs, reduced exposure to fuel price shocks and greater sustainability. Many simply cannot shoulder the upfront costs alone. They need to be supported. That is why Government leadership matters. While we discuss supports for industries and businesses, we must never lose sight of the people behind the headlines. Ordinary workers are suffering too. Families across Ireland are under sustained pressure from rising energy bills, rising rents and mortgages, rising grocery costs and rising childcare costs. For many households, every week has become a struggle to just make it through. Increasingly people feel exhausted. Working families who do everything right still find themselves falling behind. Carers are stretched beyond breaking point. Disabled people are trying to survive on inadequate supports while dealing with rising daily living costs. Low- and middle-income workers are carrying enormous pressure while feeling the Government response is too little, too late. Many of these people are simply too exhausted to advocate for themselves. That is why we must advocate for them here. While the supports announced for sectors like haulage are welcome, there are also genuine working people, working families, disabled people and carers who are just about getting by day-to-day and desperately need targeted supports during this crisis. The Government cannot continue to rely on piecemeal and reactive measures. What we need now is a transparent targeted package of supports that prioritises ordinary people as much as industry. We need measures that genuinely reduce the cost of living, strengthen energy security and protect vulnerable households from being left behind. The truth is that a resilient economy is not just one where supply chains survive, it is one where workers, families and communities survive also. If the crisis teaches us anything, it should be that protecting our economy and protecting our people goes hand-in-hand while moving towards energy and food security.

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