Last night, in Baltinglass in rural west Wicklow, I met a group of 12 people. These were small businesspeople ranging from contractors to farmers. What they all had in common was the massive impact of the fuel crisis on their livelihoods. These were very reasonable people whose livelihoods are under threat. The package announced ten days ago will not solve their problem. It does not cover all contractors, such as those working on building sites, and there is little confidence the rebates proposed will happen quickly. I urge the Taoiseach and his Government officials to do two things. First, will they engage with the contractors not benefiting from the scheme to ensure they are included? Many of these are working on house building sites, which we know is so important in this country. Second, will they ensure the scheme is simple and pays out quickly so that those who are suffering see an immediate benefit?

Sentiment score: 0.11