Sharon Keogan: Use the Surplus - Cut Fuel and Energy Taxes Now
Sharon Keogan addresses the Seanad urging the government to use the budget surplus to cut fuel and energy taxes immediately amid growing public frustration over pump and electricity costs. She sets out EIA figures on petrol and diesel taxation and argues the crisis is the result of government policy choices.
Immediate demand for relief
Sharon Keogan tells the Seanad that people are desperate and driven to extreme measures. She urges the government to act now, not later, to ease pressure on families, hauliers, couriers, tradesmen and delivery drivers who cannot leave their vehicles at home.
Fiscal capacity and fuel tax figures
Keogan cites EIA figures showing unusually high tax contributions on a full tank: large sums on both diesel and petrol that go directly to the state. She notes total tax revenues of 126 billion and annual fuel tax receipts of between 3.5 and 4 billion, arguing the State can afford immediate relief.
Impact on livelihoods and energy costs
She highlights that many drivers rely on their vehicles for work and that electricity bills remain burdened by VAT, PSO levies and other charges even after recent reductions. Keogan points out the government controls the ESB and can influence prices and levies to reduce costs for households and businesses.
Consequences and call to action
Keogan warns that if the government does not use available tools and the surplus now, public frustration will continue to grow. She challenges officials to identify wasteful spending and act honestly on difficult decisions so relief reaches those who need it most.
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I'm aware there is the motion before the Dáil as we speak. Oh no, I've got the wrong one, sorry, excuse me. Here we are in extreme situations. People are desperate and we've been driven to desperate measures. The crisis of these protests are entirely self-inflicted by the government policy. According to the EIA, for a full tank of fuel the average Irish driver is paying extraordinary levels of tax. On diesel, 170 per fill, with approximately 56.65 going straight to the state. On petrol, 95.50 per fill, with roughly 54 euros in tax. This is the average driver filling up every week or more. This does not even account for the tens of thousands of Irish men of whom driving is not a choice but a livelihood. Hauliers, couriers, tradesmen and delivery drivers who simply cannot leave their car at home. This demonstrates one simple fact, the state is capable of dramatically reducing prices of the pump immediately if it chooses to do so. Total tax revenues now stand at 126 billion. Fuel taxes alone generate between 3.5 and 4 billion annually. We have a surplus already so this is not an existential threat to the public finances. We are told that the surplus is for a rainy day. Well, that rainy day is here and it's pouring. And if difficult decisions must be made then let us be honest about this where waste exists. In runaway overspending, poor value for money and a system that abjectly fails the taxpayer. The same applies to electricity costs. Even after reduction taxes and government levies still account for roughly 10 to 11 percent of the average ESB bill. Families see VAT, PSO levies and charges layered on to inflated energy prices which the government has the power to lower as it controls the ESB. People are not asking for luxuries, they're asking for relief, they're asking for favours and they're asking for action now not later. And if nothing we can be surprised when public frustration continues to grow. The tools to ease the crisis exist, please use them.
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