Energy and fuel prices are terrifyingly high for people. People cannot afford more delay and inaction from this Government, particularly after a budget that left families and workers worse off. This Sinn Féin Private Members’ motion is another opportunity for all those sitting on the other side of this Chamber to do the right thing, make the right decision and make life easier for people. This Government taxes energy and fuel as if they were luxury goods. People who are struggling to make ends meet are paying VAT, excise duty and carbon taxes on their fuel bills. If we take the west of Ireland as an example, this is having a huge impact on people who have no other choice but to use oil to heat their homes and use the car to get to work. These are essentials if people are to work and live, but they are being treated by this Government as something that can be sacrificed. They cannot. The spike in energy prices over the last few weeks has highlighted the absurdity of increasing carbon taxes. Through carbon taxes, this Government continues to artificially hike the price of energy, all while there is a cost-of-living crisis domestically and turmoil in energy markets globally. The fight against climate change will not be won by plunging working people into energy arrears or forcing families to live in freezing cold homes. This Private Members’ motion would bring an end to the regressive and cruel approach and bring energy and fuel prices down immediately, and that is what needs to be done. Let us be honest; the Government is no stranger to tax cuts. In the most recent budget, it was only delighted to cut taxes for certain people. We saw that it deemed banks, landlords and big developers as worthy of tax cuts and it left ordinary people behind, a decision that lined the pockets of the few at the expense of the many. Now, when energy and fuel price hikes are affecting millions up and down the State and there are 320,000 people in energy arrears, it does nothing. It is like it is saying that it cannot do anything on this, but it could do it for certain people during the budget. It has done nothing to end the rip-off and nothing to get prices under control. Empty words will do nothing to heat the homes of people. We need action from this Government. The Tánaiste can act, so I urge him to do so.

Sentiment score: 0.03