Sinn Féin has called for a “financial resolution” to immediately reduce excise duty on petrol and diesel and to remove the same tax on home heating oil.
The party’s leader Mary Lou McDonald said the measures need to be introduced now “as a matter of urgency” as the Dáil will not sit next week due to St Patrick’s Day.
Speaking during Leader’s Questions on Tuesday, Ms McDonald said the cost of petrol at the pumps had gone up by 70 cent a litre since January 2021.
“We’re now at a point where many people can no longer afford to put fuel in their car to get to work and this is particularly difficult for people who live in remote areas and rural areas or places where they do not have access to frequent public transport,” she said.
“In that same timeframe, since January last year, the price of home heating oil has doubled and households are now being charged more than €700 for a half fill of oil.”
Ms McDonald said the fuel cost hikes were not sustainable and that people were already “hammered” by extortionate rents, unaffordable house prices, rising insurance and childcare costs.
“People can’t wait any longer for relief because they have to put fuel in their cars today, they have to pay for home heating oil today. Indeed, many wonder if they can afford to do it or if they will have to decide which bill goes unpaid at the end of the week,” she added.
“I think it’s wrong that people have to make these kinds of choices. I don’t think it’s any way to live a decent life.”
The Dublin Central TD said an immediate reduction in excise duty on petrol and diesel would get prices down by 25 cent per litre. She said as the Dáil won't sit next week due to St Patrick's Day, the measures could be introduced by "a financial resolution"brought forward either on Tuesday or Wednesday.
War on Ukraine
In response, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there was "no question" that the war on Ukraine had led to increased fuel prices and that they would likely rise further.
He said the Government was “acutely aware” of the issue and that measures would have to be taken to offset the likely interruption on exports.
Mr Martin said the cost of a barrel of oil had risen on international markets from $96 to $130, with speculation it could hit $150-$200 this year.
He said there would be an EU commission paper emerging “hopefully within the next day” on measures that could be taken to deal with the rising costs and that this would be considered by the Government.
Mr Martin said since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the Government was actively considering Ireland’s response across a range of areas.
“The impact of the war will be very serious and significant for all nations across the European continent and will be a long haul in terms of our response to it,” he added.
“What we would normally do in normal times, will no longer be the approach that we will have to take as a society.
“We will have to look outside the norm, outside the box, in terms of dealing with this crisis.”
