It took four weeks into this global crisis created by a warmonger in Israel and his boor in the US for this Government to take some action. The reduction in excise duty was a welcome step but it did not go far enough. People will still be paying more for petrol and diesel than they did before the start of this war. On top of that, the carbon tax increase is going to offset every measure the Government is bringing forward. We already know that carbon tax cannot change behaviour unless there is an alternative. The Comptroller and Auditor General reported to the Committee of Public Accounts a few months ago that only 61% of what the Government has ring-fenced has actually been used to help people out. The Government has been found out trying to con the people with more than 320,000 families already in energy arrears. This legislation looks to protect more than 750,000 households that rely on home heating oil by reducing the price by a whopping 2 cent per litre. That is a reduction of about €20 on fuel that now costs almost €2,000. The Minister is taking the mick. Thousands of people in my constituency in north Kildare rely on home heating oil to heat their homes and have been left high and dry by this do nothing Government. Sinn Féin's legislation would have reduced the cost of a 1,000 litre tank by €183 instead of the measly €20 the Government has proposed here today. These are the protections that people need. Sinn Féin is calling on the Government to scrap the increase in the carbon tax, introduce proper measures that we have handed to it to protect those using home heating oil and invest out in solar and wind to protect families from future actions by warmongers.

Sentiment score: 0.05