Mattie McGrath: Calls Fuel Excise Plan 'Utter Folly' in Parliament
Deputy Mattie McGrath criticised the minister and the EU Commission's approach to fuel excise and rising energy costs, calling the measures 'utter folly' and accusing officials of betraying the Irish people. He said he will move Amendment No. 1 later in the debate and accused the government of acting for 'globalists' and powerful leaders in Europe.
Planned amendment
He put the minister on notice that he will move to Amendment No. 1 at a later stage of the sitting and signalled he would press his objections in the chamber.
Critique of excise and energy costs
He said the EU Commission since last October had been telling Member States they could do the impossible to bring down excise, and questioned who was actually cutting costs. He highlighted the impact on households, citing heating oil, petrol and road diesel as areas of concern and noting little or no relief for heating oil.
Accusations of betrayal and EU influence
McGrath accused the minister of betraying the Irish people and of abdicating responsibility, saying ministers were acting for 'globalists' and powerful leaders in Europe. In his remarks he referenced the phrase 'the name of Mr Cunty' when discussing international actors.
Parliamentary behaviour and rhetoric
He criticised the conduct of other speakers and those who did not take their slots, contrasting the current parliamentary debate with the Citizens Assembly and condemning what he called a 'con job'. He characterised a ministerial lecture as evasive and unable to answer questions.
Unanswered tax question
He challenged the minister on whether higher fuel prices produced more tax revenue and said he had not received an answer, insisting the minister knew the truth but was avoiding the question.
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I want to put you on notice that I will be moving to Amendment No. 1 at a later stage tonight, and look, Minister, this is utter folly. The last Speaker and several other Board of the Speakers turned up, someone ran to the hills hiding, didn't even take their slots, and here we are again, betraying the Irish people. The EU Commission, since last October, have been telling Member States that they could do an impossible to bring down the cost of excise, and the name of Mr Cunty has done it, Spain, Hungary, Romania, Poland. So who's cutting who here? You're cutting nobody. This is not the Citizens Assembly that meets Saturday and Sunday. This is the Parliament you're elected to, to be truthful and serve the people that were elected to serve. Not to have a con job, and literally, I hate using the word screw, but that's what they were doing. We're killing them. You can't buy heating oil and the poverty amount of petrol that we have, the poverty amount of road diesel and two cents for the oil diesel, and nothing for heating oil. It's shocking, Minister. You know. You can't look me in the face and admit it, because you're hiding. Because you're acting for the globalists. You're acting for your powerful leaders in Europe. And you have abdicated your responsibility to the people of Ireland who you're elected to serve. I know it's a cobbled up government, and cobbled together, but the audacity of the teachers, the way he lectured is. Oh, he was like a moon to a skull. Oh, he wished it was the butter, the stick. That's all he was like. A lecture. Because he couldn't answer anybody any question. I asked you tonight, as the price goes up, do you get more tax from fuel? You never answer me, because you know the answer.
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