What did the ESRI say?

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The ESRI said it was a progressive budget.

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I thank the Deputies for their contributions this evening. The financial resolution amends provisions for a partial repayment of mineral oil tax on auto diesel purchased in the State and used in qualifying vehicles by licensed Irish and EU road transport operators. As the Minister, Deputy Heydon, indicated earlier, this temporary and targeted measure is in recognition of the specific and detrimental impact of increasing fuel prices on hauliers and passenger transport operators and the importance of these sectors to the Irish economy. The DRS provides a targeted level of support to the operators who keep this country running every day. As an island economy, we rely hugely on hauliers to take our produce and products to us. Passenger transport operators provide invaluable services to schools, to businesses and, as we look deeper into spring and summer, to our tourism sector. The front line of this war might be far from our borders, but these are the businesses that are feeling the daily impact of the situation in the gulf on our roads. Government has sought to support them, including with a backdated measure, so that they can operate with certainty over the months ahead. We are seeing how quickly things change. Even in the last couple of hours, there has been a further update on the Strait of Hormuz. This requires agility and it is agile supports that the Government has brought forward today. I reiterate the Minister, Deputy Heydon’s affirmation that the Opposition amendment cannot be accepted. I understand that it has been ruled out of order. The amendment proposes that a report be produced on the efficacy of the increase of 4.5 cent in the diesel rebate scheme rate within one week of the passing of this resolution. As the scheme operates on a quarterly basis and claims can be made up to four months after the end of the quarter, the full data required to produce such a report would be unavailable until the end of the final claim period. Recent increases being felt by consumers and businesses are ultimately driven by market factors. Overnight changes cannot offset all of those increases but, as I have said, the Government is acting with agility to protect and support, insofar as is practical, those at the coalface, our hauliers and our transport operators, including the bus operators who bring people to work and who bring our children to school. The enhancements to the diesel rebate scheme are positive and are targeted at those operators I have described. There is a clear expectation that it will also have a knock-on impact on the customers who use their services.

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