I move: That Dáil Éireann: recognises that: — workers and families have been hit by an unrelenting cost-of-living crisis; — the Government have failed to act to end this rip-off, and get prices under control; — the turmoil in international energy markets, as a result of the unjustified attacks on Iran, is compounding an existing cost-of-living crisis, and risks causing severe hardship for many people; — inflation was running far above the Government's projections, even before the most recent shock in energy markets; — record levels of people were already unable to pay their electricity bills, with 319,459 in arrears, and one in four people unable to pay their gas bills, with many more struggling to keep from falling behind; — the number of people at risk of poverty increased in 2025; and — the Government got it badly wrong when they decided to withdraw cost of living supports; notes with concern that: — in this context, the rapid rise in the price of petrol, diesel and home heating oil has placed more pressure on workers and families; and — the Government has legislated to increase the price of home heating oil in a matter of weeks; and calls on the Government to: — scrap plans to increase taxes on home heating oil on May 1st; and — immediately reduce the cost of petrol, diesel and home heating oil, by implementing Sinn Féin's Mineral Oil Tax (Emergency Cost of Living Reduction) Bill 2026. Táimid i ngéarchéim le coicís anois, coicís ina bhfuil oibrithe agus teaghlaigh ag fulaingt mar gheall ar phraghsanna atá ag ardú go mór ar pheitril, ar díosail agus ar ola theasa tí. Tá daoine thíos leis anois. Is é sin an fáth ar chur mé an reachtaíocht i láthair inniu chun praghas ar an phumpa peitril agus costas ola theasa tí a laghdú. Agus ní féidir le daoine fanacht. Ní mór dúinn gníomhú go tapa seachas a bheith ag smaoineamh go bhfuil an Rialtas chun súil a choinneáil ar chúrsaí. Tá daoine ar buile. Ní chiallaíonn sé tada do dhuine atá gan ola inniu. Níl chiallaíonn sé a dhath do sheandaoine atá i dteach fuar agus iad ag fanacht ar an chinneadh ón Rialtas. Ní féidir leo fanacht. Tá siad ag amharc ar an Rialtas le gníomh a dhéanamh agus le seasamh suas ar a son. Ireland is facing another energy shock because of another unjustified attack on a sovereign country. Last time, it was Russia invading Ukraine and this time it has started with the US and Israel attacking Iran. We have to remember the horror of what war means, with 170 people killed, most of them children, when a US bomb hit an elementary school. War crimes have to be called out, whether it is Russia, Israel or the US. Even in the face of this, our job is to protect people here from another economic blow. We are two weeks into this crisis, when workers and families are getting absolutely hammered by skyrocketing prices of petrol, diesel and home heating oil. The price of diesel is now well above €2 per litre and the price of home heating oil has almost doubled. Where in God's name does the Tánaiste expect people to find €1,800 for a refill? That is the reality people are facing. People are getting hit right now. This is why I introduced emergency legislation today to cut the price at the pumps and the price of home heating oil. People cannot wait any longer for the Government, which is dithering and delaying. They need to see action and they need to see a Government, but this one is nowhere to be seen. The idea that the Government is somehow monitoring the situation boils people's blood. It means nothing to somebody who is out of home heating oil today. It means nothing to the elderly person in a cold house tonight, afraid to turn on the heating. It means nothing to the parent who has to travel and commute to work and is finding it tough to put petrol or diesel in the car. They do not have the luxury that the Government has of waiting and seeing. They are looking at a Government that is refusing to act and stand up for them. At the start of last week, we called on the Government to bring in emergency measures to help these people but it fell on deaf ears. We are not going to give up because we need to see action and we need to see taxes cut on petrol, diesel and home heating oil, and that should be happening tonight. Ministers were too busy packing their bags for Paddy's day. There were not even bothered with the fear that was gripping people in their constituencies. They are not listening to families who are worried about how they are going to fill the car or older people and elderly people whose heating oil is running out or running low and who cannot afford the refill. Imagine just for a second what these people felt like when they heard the Taoiseach double down on plans to increase the taxes on home heating oil at a time when the price has nearly doubled in two weeks. This is also the plan in Fine Gael. They have told me, because I have spoken to them, that they feel disbelief that the Government could be so out of touch and they feel anger that it cares so little. It is not lost on people when these prices go up that the money ends up flowing into the State. Up to 65% of the price of every litre of petrol is taxes and levies the State collects. It was estimated that in a single week, €38 million was brought in through VAT as a result of these sky-high fuel prices alone, yet the Government refuses to act and stands by. People are demanding that the Government take action and cut the taxes on petrol, diesel and home heating oil. This is exactly what my legislation would do. As I left Donegal this morning, I saw petrol stations having to charge €2.17 for a litre of diesel. On the way up, I saw station after station charging €2.10 and €2.05. These are all prices above €2. The Tánaiste knows as well as I do, if he has his feet on the ground and knows what is happening, that many of these stations have been told there is a planned increase tomorrow night of 8 cent on a litre of diesel but the Government still refuses to act. We had Ministers in here saying they were monitoring the situation and that there would not be a knee-jerk reaction and blah de blah de blah. People still have to put money in their pockets and fill their cars and the heating oil is running out in so many homes. Now is the time for action and leadership. The Government should be standing up and saying it has heard the Irish people and it will reduce taxes on petrol, diesel and home heating oil because that is what the legislation would do. This is the leadership the people of this State are crying out for.
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People must suck it up in the meantime.
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Not at all.
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We know about it.
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We have been telling you for two weeks. In fairness to the Tánaiste, I am glad he recognises it is important now. That is fair enough.
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I presume you are voting against it tonight.
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There is a voice vote.
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There is a voice vote.
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On a point of order and with respect, maybe the Tánaiste is not aware of the legislation that I introduced-----
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-----before the House, so I ask him to withdraw that.
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While he refuses to act, we have acted. People are demanding leadership.
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I drafted the legislation.
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It is before the House and all it takes is for you, Tánaiste,-----
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-----to say, "Do you know something? We will act." Let us do it tonight. Let us reduce petrol, diesel and home heating oil because the legislation is before the House. The Tánaiste should withdraw that comment.
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But not this week.
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It is in the legislation.
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Maybe the Deputy should read the legislation.
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Under Standing Order 50-----
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I am entitled under Standing Order 50-----
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I am sorry. Maybe the Deputy should read the legislation instead of asking questions he knows nothing about.
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Tá sé foilsithe againn.
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So the Government will put up the taxes in the next couple of weeks.
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You are going to make it worse.
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And you are increasing the tax on it.
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Not true.
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Not true.
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Not true. Complete spoofing.
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Complete spoofer.
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You are just spoofing now, though.
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Just be honest with the people. You are going to increase the tax on home heating oil in a couple of weeks.
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Okay, I will.
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That was Fianna Fáil's way. Remember the last time you all bust the economy
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Cuirim deireadh leis an díospóireacht faoin rún atá curtha chun tosaigh agus bogtha agam ar chostais peitril agus díosail. I listened to the Minister and the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, and their colleagues. Some of them have not even read the legislation and did not inform themselves of what we were debating before they came in and started asking stupid questions. The Minister will be able to see the legislation and see the fact that it is for six months and allows the Minister to review that period, to extend it or to increase the length of time. He will see in the legislation that it provides flexibility for the Minister also to increase or decrease the supports depending on the situation in terms of wholesale fuel costs or the cost-of-living crisis that people are suffering from. This is a responsible course of action from this party. The Minister talked about back-of-envelope stuff. No harm to the Minister but that was Fianna Fáil's job, the last time you wrecked the economy, yourselves down in the Galway tent with the back of the envelopes with the bankers and the developers. We know all the lectures in relation to that. This legislation is detailed. It is presentable. The key thing about it is that it is the solution. It is the plan that people are looking for. People cannot wait any longer for the Government to get its act together. I am glad the Ministers have all returned from St. Patrick's Day festivals but while they were away, people here were seriously struggling. This is the problem here. They left without providing the support that was required. People are demanding action right now. The action they need is a cut in taxes on petrol, diesel and home heating oil. The Minister talked about how the price of kerosene has gone up really high and how it is putting pressure on families. He should be honest with people about what he is planning to do. He is planning to increase the cost. His cheerleaders in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are calling on him to increase carbon tax on 1 May, the legislation he has already passed. He should not give these crocodile tears that he feels for the old woman who has to fill up her tank and it is costing her €1,800, when he is sitting there saying we have to increase carbon tax in a couple of weeks. That is going to make it more expensive for people to heat their home and stay warm during this time of crisis. That is the reality of what the Government is doing. As Deputy Gould said, we are three weeks into this crisis and still the Government does not have a plan. We listen to the Tánaiste and he says we are going to do something. Something - nobody yet knows what he is going to do. I bet my bottom dollar that the Government will not cut taxes on home heating oil because it is wedded to this idea that it is carbon tax and therefore it is the Holy Grail. The Government wants to increase taxes on home heating oil. It is simply unjustifiable. You ask simple questions like how do we fund retrofit. We fund retrofit from the taxes that we take in as a State. There was €12.5 billion of a surplus last year. In one week, €38 million more has been taken in by this Government as a result of sky-high fuel costs. The Government Deputies sit back in their ivory towers and say to people out there who cannot heat their homes that they have to wait another week, and the Government might come up with something. That is not good enough. It does not cut it. People want leadership. They want action. We have provided the solution, the plan and the legislation. What the Minister should be doing, and what a responsible Government, one that cares about people and that understands the cost-of-living pressures people are under, would be doing is standing here and saying "Folks, tonight we are taking action, cutting petrol and diesel costs and the cost of home heating oil." Those are the solutions we put forward. In the real world, things continue to move on while Ministers are dithering and delaying and dallying. People are having to pay these costs. Today I talked to a forecourt owner. This is putting huge pressure on businesses also. They are buying diesel in for €2.13. This evening they were told what the prices are going to be tomorrow night and it is going up again, they will have to buy it in for €2.19. The Minister is going to delay and come up with something some time next week. It is simply unacceptable. People will have a decision now. I am glad the Government did not move their amendment so they will have a decision here now to actually support this motion and support this legislation.
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The amendment has not been moved during the debate and you are only allowed to intervene once, under Standing Orders, a Chathaoirleach Gníomhach. The Standing Orders are very clear. The Member is only allowed to speak once and the debate has now concluded.
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He did not.
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Just to clarify, just so we are doing it procedurally because I did not hear it but I could have misheard him or not heard him. Can we get clarification that the Tánaiste actually moved the amendment?
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But he did not say it.
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Yes, just to clarify. If he moved the amendment, that is fine, but I just did not hear it.
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I will take your word for it if that is the case. I did not hear it.
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