There is a real sense of worry in Irish households now as they see the increase in fuel prices occasioned by the war in Iran. They are seeing the repeat of what was seen four years ago following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It demonstrates yet again our vulnerability to international energy price shocks because of our dependence on fossil fuels. I respectfully say that the Cabinet cannot delay clarity for Irish householders any longer. It is our party's view that the most vulnerable need to be protected immediately. We see this in the context of a €200 payment for every household taking the fuel allowance or household benefit package. We estimate that this is about 750,000 households and that it would cost about €150 million. We also think there should be an examination of another round of energy credits. We think this should be in conjunction with a targeting mechanism at this point and that this would manage to insulate large numbers of Irish households, particularly those in the squeezed middle, from the impact of the energy price spikes we are seeing now. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to support this particular Private Members' motion tonight. I think the targeting of the carbon tax that is part of the motion is a step backwards. The reason we have a fuel price crisis in Ireland now is not because of the carbon tax but because our economy continues to be entirely dependent on imported fossil fuels. The carbon tax is the one piece of public policy that is ring-fenced to tackle that, through immediate supports for the most vulnerable, increased social protection payments and longer term measures to support the insulation of homes through a range of targeted measures. If we cut the carbon tax, that would only prolong our addiction to dirty, unpredictably priced imported fuels. People are hurting because of the Iran war. The Government can take targeted steps to address that but changing the carbon tax is not the right thing to do at this time.

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