Mattie McGrath: Blasts Carbon Tax and Big Energy Profits
Mattie McGrath criticised the government's carbon tax and energy policy, saying it attacks productive agriculture and fails to tackle oil companies and the ESB. He argued that support for the carbon tax by parties like Sinn Fein and concessions to the Green Party have weakened food policy and left households facing higher bills.
Main criticism
McGrath rejected the current approach to carbon taxation and energy policy, calling the carbon tax a direct cost on goods and saying the government's stance has been shaped to keep the Green Party on side. He described this as creating a major weakness in food policy and criticised parties like Sinn Fein for supporting the carbon tax.
Energy sector and pricing
He accused the government of refusing to tackle conglomerates, oil companies and the ESB despite what he called their massive profits. McGrath said the State failed to decouple oil from wind energy and warned that the country now faces some of the highest prices in Europe.
Fuel and excise concerns
McGrath pointed to a recent GE vote to increase excise duty on petrol and diesel again from next June, August and October, warning this would add about 23 cents a litre on top of current costs. He challenged the Taoiseach's comparison that prices and wages were both 40% higher, asking where those figures came from.
Household impact
He highlighted hundreds of thousands he said are in fuel poverty, food poverty and facing ESB and gas overruns, and implored ministers to act for the "hard-pressed dougling people." McGrath said the public could see the problem and described the situation as the genie being out of the bottle.
Rhetoric and warning
Using sharp rhetoric, McGrath accused ministers of sitting by while companies effectively extort the public and warned that political leaders would be gone while the problems persisted. He urged immediate action to ease pressure on households and to confront high energy and food costs.
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The government's policy, I welcome the motion here tonight, but unfortunately the carbon tax has been ignored. The fact that parties like Sinn Fein and others are voting, supporting the carbon tax, it is the direct cost on our goods. The government policy of consistently attacking productive agriculture to keep the Green Party on side means major weakness in our food policy. Simple as that. Plus the fact that you will not tackle the conglomerates, you will not tackle the oil companies, the ESB, and the massive profits they're making. I mean, what is the problem? Are you in hock to these people? Are they the promise of the sun, moon, and the sun, or do they own you? Are they totally in their pockets that you won't tackle the ESB, the oil companies? We've for ages talked about decoupling the oil from the wind energy. We did that kicking and screaming last in Europe to do it. We're the highest prices in Europe. And the Taoiseach today then lamenting how we're 40% higher than some other countries. But he said, of course, wages were 40% higher in Ireland too. Where are you getting those figures from? And does he forget that GE last week, two weeks ago, voted here to increase the excise duty on petrol and diesel again from next June, August, and October. You'd have 23 cents a litre back on top of it again. Sir, who's cotton who? The genie's out of the bottle here, Minister, and the public out there can see. And I beg you and implore you to do something for the hard-pressed dougling people. The figures are quoted that they're for everyone to see. Hundreds of thousands of people in fuel poverty. Hundreds of thousands of people in food poverty. Hundreds of thousands have overruns in ESB and gas. People have always paid their way. But yet you allow these couples to try to extortion a race. And you rub your hands and sit while roam buns and fiddle while roam buns, as I said. But you'll be fiddling and fiddling until you'll be fiddling. You'll play yourself in tune. The lonesome lament. You'll be well out of here and gone.
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