Pearse Doherty: Emergency law to cut fuel and heating taxes

Go raibh maith agat, Éanna Comhairle. Agus tae mo dhí géircéam le cicas na bhfuil Eibarainní agus Téalí. Ag ffolaintio praise na ta g'eradu go mór ar petrol, ar diesel, agus o alw téo tí. Agus a díní thíos le sinas, sineamh mhaidh go bhfuil mé an ráchteacht a bhfáir, a níochann praise ar an pump o petrol, agus costa alw téo a bhfáidh dú. Agus ní féidir le díní fanart, ní mór go gríomh go tapai. Taith mhaidh tíos seo, go bhfuil an ríoltas, agus an súle chunnealt ar cúrsaí. Ta díní ar boile, ní théalíon sé thada do go níochann a té ag an álla an níomh. Ní théalíon sé dhé agus seann díní a té a tea phuair, agus dhéadig fanart ar an cenniú le ún ríoltas. Ní féidir le fanart, taise de gaircair an ríoltas le gríomh a dhéannu, agus le seasamh suas ar a chunn. Ireland, I can't call it, is facing another energy shock because of another unjustified attack on a sovereign country. Last time it was in Russia invading Ukraine. This time it starts with the US and Israel attacking Iran. And we have to remember the horror of what war means. 170 killed, most of them children, when a US bomb hit an elementary school. War crimes have to be called out, whether it's in Russia, Israel or the US. But even in the face of that, our job is to protect people here from another economic blow. And we're two weeks into this crisis. Two weeks where workers and families are getting absolutely hammered by skyrocketing prices of petrol, diesel and home heating oil. Diesel now well above €2, and home heating oil has almost doubled. Where in God's name, Tánaiste, do you expect people to find €1,800 for a refill? Because that is the reality people are facing. And people are getting hit right now. And that is why I introduced emergency legislation today to cut the price at the pumps and on home heating oil. Because people can't wait any longer for the government who's dithering and delaying. They need to see action, and they need to see a government that is nowhere to be seen. The idea that this government is somehow monitoring the situation boils people's blood. It means nothing to somebody who's out of home heating oil today. It means nothing to that 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 his car. They don't have the luxury that government has of waiting and seeing. They're looking at a government that is refusing to act, that is refusing to stand up for them. And we've called on the government at the start of last week to bring in emergency measures to help those people. But it fell on deaf ears. But we're 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. But government ministers were too busy packing their bags for Paddy's Day. They weren't even bothered with the fear that was gripping people in their own constituencies. And they're not listening to families worried about how they're going to fill the car. Or the older people, the elderly people, whose heating oil is running out or running low and they can't afford the refill. Imagine, just for a second, what those people felt like when they heard the Taoiseach double down on plans to increase taxes, increase the taxes on home heating oil at a time when it's nearly doubled in two weeks. And that's your plan too, Infinite Gael. They have told me, because I've spoken to them, that they feel disbelief. Disbelief that you could be so out of touch. And anger that you care so little. And it's not lost on people, when these prices go up, that the money ends up flowing into the state. Up to 65% of every litre of petrol is taxes and levies that the state collects. Indeed, it was estimated in a single week that 38 million euro was brought in in VAT as a result of these sky-high fuel prices alone. And yet the government refused to act. And yet the government stand by. And yet people are demanding the government take action and cut the taxes on petrol, diesel and home heating oil. And that's exactly what my legislation would do. Minister, as I left on a gaul this morning, I've seen petrol stations that are having to charge 2 euro and 17 cent for a litre of diesel. On the way up I've seen station after station charging 2 euro and 10 cent. 2 euro and 5 cent. All prices above 2 euro. Now you know as well as I know, if you've got your feet on the ground, and you know what's happening, many of those stations have been told that there's a planned increase tomorrow night of 8 cent. 8 cent on diesel. And yet you still refuse to act. You've got ministers in here saying we're monitoring the situation, it's not knee-jerk and so on. Blah de blah de blah. While people still have to put money in their pockets and fill their cars, and the heating is running out in so many homes. So now is the time for action. Now is the time for leadership. You should be standing up there and saying you've heard the Irish people, and that you're going to reduce taxes on petrol, diesel, home heating oil. Because that's what this legislation does, and that's the leadership that the people of this state are crying out for.