Danny Healy-Rae: Give Fuel Relief Back At The Pumps
Danny Healy-Rae addresses the Tánaiste about rising fuel costs and urges that extra taxes on petrol and diesel be returned directly at the pumps rather than through application schemes. He references measures from the 24th of March, recent increases in green diesel and kerosene, and concerns over other government spending decisions.
Danny Healy-Rae tells the Tánaiste that people need immediate relief at the pump. He argues that any extra cost on oil should not be recovered through complex applications that many will struggle to complete or will be denied after giving false hope.
Healy-Rae describes a cross-section of the community-hard-working people, nurses and carers-who are angry and struggling with higher fuel prices. He points to the public reaction following measures introduced on the 24th of March as a trigger for growing unrest.
The speech also criticises recent government spending priorities referenced in the chamber. Healy-Rae contrasts domestic hardship with international payments and loans, naming specific amounts mentioned during the debate, and calls for fairness in how relief is delivered.
Healy-Rae warns that using application processes will create extra work and disappointment for people already in difficulty. He presses ministers to act where people pay-at the pump-rather than relying on bureaucratic remedies.
Immediate demand: return relief at the pumps
Danny Healy-Rae tells the Tánaiste that people need immediate relief at the pump. He argues that any extra cost on oil should not be recovered through complex applications that many will struggle to complete or will be denied after giving false hope.
Who is affected and why it matters
Healy-Rae describes a cross-section of the community-hard-working people, nurses and carers-who are angry and struggling with higher fuel prices. He points to the public reaction following measures introduced on the 24th of March as a trigger for growing unrest.
Criticism of government choices
The speech also criticises recent government spending priorities referenced in the chamber. Healy-Rae contrasts domestic hardship with international payments and loans, naming specific amounts mentioned during the debate, and calls for fairness in how relief is delivered.
Consequences and political context
Healy-Rae warns that using application processes will create extra work and disappointment for people already in difficulty. He presses ministers to act where people pay-at the pump-rather than relying on bureaucratic remedies.
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Transcript
First of all, Tánaiste, it's been an awful time for the people of Ireland and it's not getting much better. And indeed it's been an awful time for elected politicians and their families and their workers. And we were picked around the place by friends and people that we taught a lot of and that taught a lot of us that we've been working for them for many years and I think it was because of what happened here on the 24th of March that kicked it off. Three cents to help the people with the green diesel that had gone up, 80 cents. And two cents for kerosene that had gone up, 80 cents as well. And then to throw petrol in the fire, sometime around Fool's Day, Minister McEntee went out to Ukraine and gave them 40 million. The people started to go mad and they are mad. Good, hard-living people, hard-working people, nurses, carers. It was a cross-section of the community. It was coming from every angle. And that's the God's gospel truth. And people are still very hot. And what I asked here that day, Minister, was that whatever extra oil is costing, I know that will have to be paid. But he'll have to forego the extra taxes on that. No, Minister, at the pump where they're paying for it, reduce it down there. Don't be making work for yourselves with applications because the people are going to be in trouble filling out applications like they are with every other application. And many people will be denied after going to the trouble and giving them false hope. I'm saying to give it back at the pumps. And you see, there's plenty of all the money that's being wasted. And they are right. There's a lot of money being wasted. We went down for 1.9 billion of a loan for the Ukrainians to keep the warm warm. On top of the 125 million that was given to Zelensky. And then people say to me that RT, when they were in trouble, got 725 million from the government. Don't respond now to all the people of Ireland that are in trouble. It's 755 million. There's only one organisation or one company. Look, it's not fair what's happened or what has happened to our people. Transcribed by https://otter.ai