Pearse Doherty: We Won't Accept Half Measures on Fuel Relief
Pearse Doherty addressed the Dáil to move an amendment seeking cuts to petrol and diesel, an end to carbon tax on green diesel, and relief on home heating oil. He criticised the government’s proposals as inadequate and warned against locking in annual carbon tax increases to 2030.
Pearse Doherty set out an amendment he says would reduce the cost of petrol and diesel, remove carbon tax from green diesel and provide the same relief for home heat and oil. He framed the motion as the only meaningful measure in the Dáil responding to public protests.
Doherty described visits to families, farmers and fishermen affected by rising fuel and heating costs, saying ordinary people had asked for leadership and concrete action. He told stories of households running low on heating oil and boats tied up because diesel costs had surged.
He directly challenged government ministers and singled out Simon Harris and the major parties for offering what he called 'half measures', including a four cent cut in green diesel compared with larger reliefs elsewhere. Doherty warned parties who joined protests not to support a resolution that locks in yearly carbon tax increases.
Doherty concluded by pledging to vote against the government's resolution and urged others to consider the long-term effects of committing to annual carbon tax rises to 2030. The address underlines the ongoing debate in the Dáil over energy costs, social hardship and environmental taxation.
What he proposed
Pearse Doherty set out an amendment he says would reduce the cost of petrol and diesel, remove carbon tax from green diesel and provide the same relief for home heat and oil. He framed the motion as the only meaningful measure in the Dáil responding to public protests.
Voices from the protests
Doherty described visits to families, farmers and fishermen affected by rising fuel and heating costs, saying ordinary people had asked for leadership and concrete action. He told stories of households running low on heating oil and boats tied up because diesel costs had surged.
Who he criticised
He directly challenged government ministers and singled out Simon Harris and the major parties for offering what he called 'half measures', including a four cent cut in green diesel compared with larger reliefs elsewhere. Doherty warned parties who joined protests not to support a resolution that locks in yearly carbon tax increases.
Political consequences
Doherty concluded by pledging to vote against the government's resolution and urged others to consider the long-term effects of committing to annual carbon tax rises to 2030. The address underlines the ongoing debate in the Dáil over energy costs, social hardship and environmental taxation.
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Transcript
Gormaig, as I move the amendment and you ask Comhairle, when I stood at the protests right across the state with the ordinary Irish people I pledged to them that I would have their back I told them that I would fight their corner and I'm not going to let them down and that's exactly what we're doing here today we're the only party here in the Dáil that's bringing forward an amendment to the government's proposal that would actually reduce the cost of petrol reduce the cost of diesel would get at the end of carbon tax on green diesel and the same on home heat and oil and that's the type of leadership that's the type of action that people at the protests have been telling me ordinary people the length and breadth of this state that they're demanding and that they need and we're not going to accept half measures we're not going to we didn't accept the half measures from the government the last time and Simon Harris stood there and he sneered at me he said we were on our own he said we were isolated well by God Simon you got your answer because the people of Ireland were right behind us and they were calling you out and your party out for your inaction over and over again and they forced you into this situation where you are today a place that you didn't want to be but what do you do you still ignore them you still insult them you still look down at them you sneer at them you jeer at them that's what you're doing you spoke there for ten minutes earlier on you've spoke there again not once have you recognized the hardship of ordinary Irish people across the state not once because you if you did you would understand that your measures do not simply go far enough how could you stand up understanding where people are at and decide to say I'm doing nothing on home heat and all I'm just going to leave people to paddle their own canoe in relation to that issue Simon I've stood in the homes of these people they've invited me in they've told me they've shown me their tanks that were running dry they've told me that they've had to put on an extra coat at night I've been in homes where somebody opened up their wallet at the start of the week and says a 50 euro left I've talked to plumbers who've been called out to houses because the plumbing system was airlocked because they ran out of oil and he couldn't charge them the call-out fee why because the only thing that that house had was a 25 litre drum because they couldn't afford any more and you decide to come in here with an insult to those individuals with a complete and utter obligation of your duties and saying that you're doing nothing on home heat and all it's absolutely disgraceful if you listened if you understood where people are at talk to the farmer I spoke to a farmer the last night late night call somebody who was in a desperate situation himself and his father stood in a farm and shed that evening both of them in the middle of the protest it was lambing season as you've known and the father who's well beyond pension age but can't retire because he can't afford it talked about him and his son can't even draw a wage from the farm now and what do you do what do you do in terms of green diesel four cent cut four cent cut in green diesel private jets get 24 cent cut under Fianna Gael under Fianna Fáil in the independence it shows your priorities and you can yap all you want why don't you go and yap to the actual people why don't you go and talk to ordinary people talk to the fishermen talk to the fishermen who came to me or talk to the fisherman who will tell you that the diesel went up 10,000 euro in a fortnight that what's happened to that boat it's tied up the crew is out of work because of inaction from your government we will not accept half measures and we will vote against this resolution for that purpose but also for the purpose that you are asking us to lock in increases of carbon tax every single year to 2030 that's what this resolution says and I say to every single party who stood on the protest lane and talked about carbon tax by God do not be voting for it tonight because that's what you'll vote for if you support this government so I'll leave it at that