Fuel prices and cost of living
Deputy Tóibín attacked rising fuel costs and said the Government was burdening families during a cost-of-living crisis. The Minister replied that the Government had already delivered major supports, cut fuel excise, and would keep targeting assistance at families and individuals in need.
It is hard to overstate the anger among people about the increases in fuel today. We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, a situation where people are in poverty, and where people are in arrears with bills. We are also in a situation where the Government has never taken in as much fuel tax in the history of the State, yet Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party are hiking the cost of petrol and diesel.
Some 670,000 people in this State are living in poverty. A quarter of all domestic gas customers are in arrears. Some 200,000 electricity customers are in arrears. Ireland has the second highest rate of rent and mortgage arrears in the whole of Europe. A reply from the Minister to a parliamentary question received by Aontú shows that the Government has never taken in as much in taxes on home heating oil, gas, electricity, petrol, diesel, and solid fuels. The Government took €294 million more last year in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.
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I want to know why the Green Party, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are fleecing families at this time of need.
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Rather than fleecing families, we have done the exact opposite. Aontú opposed the budget of €12 billion in cost-of-living measures, equivalent to 4.5% of our national income. That is what this Government introduced to help working families right the way through. That fact is indisputable. We did reduce the excise on petrol and diesel by 21 cent and 16 cent per litre, respectively. As Deputy Tóibín is aware, at that time, both were heading beyond €2 per litre at the pumps. Today, the national average is €1.57 per litre of petrol and €1.47 for diesel. The Government has not been found wanting in regard to cost-of-living measures.
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Thankfully, because we have an economy with near full employment-----
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-----and surpluses in the Exchequer, we will continue to help families. We will look at those families and individuals who need it in advance of the budget.
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We will continue to roll out the payments.