Conor D McGuinness: Government failed to act on fuel crisis
Conor D McGuinness challenged the government in the Dail over soaring fuel and home heating oil prices, accusing ministers of ignoring workers, farmers and families. He called again for a 25 cent cut at the pumps, excise relief on green diesel and removal of excise and carbon tax on heating oil.
Key points: Conor D McGuinness told the Dail that public confidence has not been restored despite a government vote. He said petrol and diesel are on course to exceed record highs and home heating oil has reached the highest prices on record, hitting households and small businesses across Waterford.
Local impact: McGuinness described what he heard in Dungarvan and across Waterford, where protesters, farmers, fishermen, hauliers and small businesses warned that rising fuel costs threaten their livelihoods. He named frontline workers, disabled people, home care staff, apprentices and students as among those struggling.
Policy demands: He repeated Sinn Féin's proposals from three weeks earlier: a minimum 25 cent reduction on petrol and diesel at the pumps, maximum cuts to excise on green diesel, full removal of excise and carbon tax on home heating oil, and direct supports for affected households.
Political consequences: McGuinness accused the government of arrogance, failing to listen and resorting to self-congratulation on the government benches. He argued today's parliamentary outcome changed nothing for families and businesses facing the immediate fuel cost crisis.
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Thank you Seanan Comhairle. Minister, your government survived a vote today but don't kid yourself, public confidence has not been restored. You limped through shedding some of your own along the way and people will draw their own conclusions about the motivations behind those changes of heart. But what is clear is that the outcome of today does absolutely nothing to change the reality that workers, families and businesses across the state are facing. People have lost confidence because this government is not listening and has not listened and it has failed to act in any meaningful way on the fuel cost crisis that is hitting households. You still have not taken the necessary steps to make fuel affordable at the pumps and you've done nothing on home heating oil despite it reaching the highest prices on record. This is your second attempt Minister and once again you've come up short. Last month it was half measures, this month it's just more of the same. Petrol and diesel are still on course to exceed record highs and home heating oil remains completely untouched. Across Waterford and across the state the reality is stark. Green diesel has nearly doubled in a matter of weeks, rising from 97 cent a litre in February to one euro and 80 cent. For farmers, for fishermen, for hauliers, for small businesses, fuel isn't optional. It's a core cost of them staying in business and that was the message that I heard clearly this weekend in Dungarvan and across Waterford as my colleague David Cullinan and I spoke with protesters, listened to them, heard their concerns. Something that you and your colleagues in government have failed and refused to do. Much better to denigrate and demonise than to actually listen. For workers and families it's the cost of getting to work and keeping the light and the heat on. I've heard from disabled people, from home care workers, from health workers, from apprentices and students who are all suffering. And what do we see from the government benches today? Well self-congratulations and back-slapping. Telling everyone and anyone who will listen just how great you are and how well they are doing. You've said it so often that you probably even believe yourselves. But people aren't fooled. They say a government that is arrogant, that refuses to listen and that is willfully blind to the real hardship being experienced. The solutions are clear. We've set them out. We set them out for you three weeks ago. We set them out for you again today. A minimum 25 cent reduction on petrol and diesel at the pumps. Maximum cuts to excise on green diesel. The complete removal of excise including the carbon tax on home heating oil. And direct support for households in the grip of this crisis Minister.
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