I welcome some of the measures that have come, but there is a reality here. The Tánaiste spoke about Northern Ireland earlier. Those people are not bleeding as hard as the people here. The facts are that tonight, a litre of white diesel in the North costs the equivalent of €1.85, which is 40 cent less than here. There is a difference of €200 in the price of 500 litres of kerosene, while green diesel - it is red in the North - is €200 cheaper in the North. Let us concentrate on our own game. I welcome what has been done for hauliers and the excise duty reduction, but what has Government done for agriculture? Does it not realise food is produced with tractors right around this country? For the agri-contractor sector and for farmers, what farmers have to pay is an absolute insult. Does the Government realise most people in rural Ireland, if they do not have a turf fire, use kerosene? Kerosene has never been as dear. What has been done for them? A measly 5 cent is going to be taken off between tomorrow and today. It is absolutely disgusting to see the way the agriculture sector has been treated. Then we hear rural TDs talking about how the Government could not do anything about carbon tax. How is it that we can bring in legislation tomorrow for NORA? I have looked around Europe tonight, and there are different carbon taxes in every bit of it. The EU has told governments to ease the energy cost for everyone and gave that clear mandate last week to all leaders, but no, we will not touch the carbon tax and on 1 May, we will look at it again and add 2 cent more. Does the Government not realise that it gets more than the driver of a tractor agitating or ploughing or whatever it is at?

Sentiment score: -0.05

The Government ends up with €16 per hour into its paws, and it is not in the field. It is time the Government woke up and looked at what was going on.

Sentiment score: 0.00