Today is the day when the Government reintroduces the National Oil Reserves Agency, NORA, levy of 2 cent per litre on the price of fuel. It might not sound like a lot but NORA does not just store oil; it also stores money. In 2021 NORA raised €120 million, with a surplus of €39 million. That surplus has accumulated year on year, and the Government feels the need to introduce a levy on the hard-pressed people of rural Ireland who are working hard. I am collecting for a food bank to give those people a leg up because they cannot afford both food and fuel. They are paying to go to work. These are the people who are raising the taxes for the Government to pay for the cost-of-living measures that it pontificates on day in and day out. I am asking the Government to reconsider the 2 cent levy and remove it because it affects people outside of the M50 far greater than those who have the option of public transport.

The NORA levy is there for a reason; it is there to fund the operations of NORA, which ensures we have energy security and we have supplies of petrol and diesel on hand if we need them. It is paid by everyone, including people in urban and rural Ireland and people who live beyond the M50 and commute long distances. That includes most of my constituents, who are beyond the M50. The levy is paid by everyone. I appreciate that people travelling long distances, whether it is commuters or people in rural areas, will pay more but it is there for a reason and it is there to make sure we have 90 days' worth of supply of petrol and diesel should we need it.