Pearse Doherty: Urgent call to stop petrol and diesel hikes

Go raibh maith agat a cheann Comhairle, agus a thíosí, an teachtain seo cháite bháta ar mhuir ríoltas leis an glí artha o an praise an pheatrail agus an díosal a ardu un chéad léad a bhí lunasai, agus mar ghealaar seo neshe arda thaibh praise an díosal trí a 2 cent agus arda thaibh praise an pheatrail bhí a 7 cent mar ghealaar mhuir goadh ceannítha. Agus ní fféidir le bhleans an do réi leis ne pheraidí seo ar pheatrail agus an díosal, ceaisibh athans go bhúil bhátan mór deantaigeabh, agus ceaisibh reit a argaidh is a thóirtaiste a as chóir na dhéile seo go léichraith an stápa tháir lís na herdaí a seo agus na praise na seo agal an arde, an méid seo an chéad léad a bhí lunasai, an bhrú a tháirí seo ar grech aileaí phád phad na tíre. Tíse, in the last year, soaring fuel prices have put huge pressure on ordinary households that are struggling to keep up, and that pressure came to a head in April. After weeks of Fianna Fhaile and Finlay Gale refusing to listen, ordinary people rose up in protest, and they were forced to take action, and they also forced you to take action to reduce the cost of petrol and diesel. They had to fight for what little relief they eventually got from your government. So can you imagine their reaction last week when your government voted to pass the Finance Bill, a law that will see the cost of petrol and diesel increase from 1 August? Tíse, you voted against Sinn Féin's proposals, and as a result of your decision, that means that diesel will go up 32 cent and petrol will go up 27 cent. And what does that mean for ordinary folks out there, Tíse? Well, in just a matter of weeks, they'll once again be hit with rip-off prices at the pumps if you don't act now to stop it. Diesel will shoot up to over 2 euro, and petrol will hit something similar. And it's clear that you haven't learned anything from the fuel protests or the pressure that ordinary people are under. Did you not see the Barnardo's report, Tíse, that was released just yesterday? It told us very clearly that more than half of parents are worried that they don't have enough money to put fuel in the car. Real people, real families, real pressure, and Sinn Féin was the only party here last week that stood up here to challenge you, to stand against your decision. We proposed amendment after amendment after amendment to stop your fuel hikes, and we did that because we understand that this is going to heap further pressure on ordinary families. But you kept on going down the track that you've set, and you're going to make things even harder for families. You're going to increase the price of diesel by 32 cent and petrol by 27 cent. And while the Dáil is in recess and ministers are off on the holidays, these price increases kick in. And that's what you voted for, Tíse, last week in the Finance Bill. And unless you act now, ordinary people are going to pay the price, and we can't have a repeat of what happened in April, that it was only after those who keep Ireland moving having risen up in protest that you were finally forced to act. So you need to recognise the pressure that is increasing on people. It's not easing, it's increasing, Tíse, and you can't go ahead with these petrol and diesel increases in the scale that you have outlined. So there's still time to change course. You need to listen. You need to make it clear that this pressure won't be placed on families at the pumps just in a number of weeks. And you need to realise that you made a big, big mistake in voting against Sinn Féin's proposals last week. So Tíse, I'm asking you now, will you urgently bring forward a financial resolution to stop these huge increases in petrol and diesel taking effect in just a number of weeks? First of all, it's clear from the recent news in Iran that there is a huge increase in prices for petrol and diesel, and that there is a huge increase in prices for the land and for the Gaelic language. And the Government will make a financial resolution in just a number of weeks to stop this increase in prices, and to listen to people. And it's clear to us. And if we do that, we will do much more, so that it is, of course, clear to you, and it is clear to me, and it is clear to everyone. So the Government reduced petrol excise and diesel by 32 cents and by 27 cents. We didn't increase it. And clearly, you're all about politics and not about policy. And you've played politics last week with this, and you're playing politics this week with it. And so you kind of cleverly put in a few amendments last week, they get voted down, and then you turn it around and say the Government are voting for increases. It's a game you're at. And I would say to you is that the pressures on people have been very significant because of the increase in fuel prices arising out of the war in Iran between America and Iran. Now, the harm was straight, and there's been a cessation of violence and of war, but there's also been at least a resolution which has given some respite to the situation. And we took significant measures to try and help people, and I'll come back to that in a moment. But Ben Crude, as a result of what's been happening in recent times, the oil prices currently stand at around 75 US dollars per barrel. That's down from its peak closing price of 115 US dollars per barrel in early May, but still above prices of around 70 US dollars per barrel recorded before the war. And we have seen stability domestically in recent weeks with steady declines in the prices for kerosene, auto fuels, and marked gas oil. We're closely monitoring the international domestic fuel prices, and this will inform our decision-making process. The latest Eurostat data shows that Ireland experienced one of the largest reductions in diesel prices across the European Union in May, reflecting easing international energy pressures and improved conditions in global markets. And so the recent increases as a result of the war are beginning to unwind. Irish diesel prices fell by 8.1% in May. That's in May. I haven't the June figures yet. That's the fourth largest reduction in the European Union. Petrol prices in Ireland also declined by 2%, with Ireland among the countries seeing reductions when many others continue to experience increases. Wholesale energy prices fell significantly month on month following the sharp spike recorded in April. Now, in terms of the measures that we took, we took 32 cents off diesel. We took 27 cents off petrol, 7.4% off MGO. We deferred the carbon tax increase to the 14th of October. 40 million per month for transport was allocated for over three months, and 100 million fuel scheme for farmers, contractors, and fishers. And the diesel rebate increased to 12 cents per litre. We increased the fuel allowance to 38 euro per week, expanded the eligibility, with about 470,000 households supported as a result of that. And then in the budget proper, we did core budgets. Now, you seem to be assuming that the end of July is more than a month away. The government will keep this under review. We've said this repeatedly. And the government will take a decision in respect of the diesel and the petrol situation before the dialysis. Taoiseach, I'm assuming nothing. Last week, I put forward an amendment here that would see those increases not taking effect. You accuse me of games. This has nothing to do with games, Taoiseach. How dare you? When I give voice to the concerns of people right across the state that tell me that the idea that this government is putting up the price of petrol and diesel, which you voted for last week, by 32 cents, that's not a game for them. When people tell me they don't have enough money in their pockets to pay for the bare necessities in this Ireland of 2026, that's not a game for them. I'm doing my job when I stand up and represent the people right across the state who are pushed to the pin of the collar because of decisions that you made. The Finance Bill has passed it all. The legislation has passed it all. And on the 1st of August, these prices are to increase. And I've asked you very, very clearly. Because you don't need more reports. You don't need reviews. You don't need anything bar to get your head out of the sand and to recognise that putting up the price of diesel by 32 cents in the matter of a number of weeks is reckless. It will put huge pressure on ordinary families. I've asked you will you bring forward a financial resolution without delay, or are you going to stick to your position which is that these increases go ahead? We did not vote, as you say, last week to increase anything. What we decided last week, you just want to look after the oil companies really by just giving whatever and you don't even want to monitor what's going to happen over the next number of weeks. It makes sense that you watch the market, of course it does, otherwise you're just filling the pockets of the oil companies who will benefit from the decline. And we've got to, and there's a broader, this is the taxpayers' money we're talking about here. So obviously, as I said to you, we have some distance to go before the end of July. Sorry, I didn't interrupt you, no. You put the amendments down last week so you could then make the allegation that we're increasing prices so you could try and engineer protests. That's what's going on. That is what's going on. I've seen the Facebook pages. I've seen it all. Government makes a decision, there's going to be protests. That's the game. And that's what's, and that's the political, no, no. You're entitled to raise the issue, but that is the political, that is, that is the political agenda. Again, you've interrupted. That's the political agenda. I didn't interrupt you, Deputy. You've been awful happy to do it. I didn't interrupt you. That's your political agenda. But what I'm saying is the government has not made a decision in respect of the end of July. Thank you. Time's up. Deputy. Deputy. Taoiseach, the time is up. Thank you very much. I now call on Deputy Holly Kern. Thank you.