Danny Healy-Rae: Scrap the Carbon Tax - Fuel, Rents and Rates
Danny Healy-Rae speaks in the Dail about the rising cost of living, focusing on fuel, energy, rents and commercial rates. He argues that taxes and levies on fuel and housing are driving price increases and calls on the government to act.
Danny Healy-Rae says fuel is the main driver of the cost of living, claiming that over half of every litre paid at the pump goes into state coffers and urging the Minister to remove the carbon tax. He highlights daily increases at pumps and criticises the government's small, slow responses to rising prices.
Healy-Rae raises concern about rents and the tax burden on renters, asserting that in many cases the government is taking 52% tax from people who are simply trying to keep a roof over their heads. He frames rising rents as a direct contributor to household strain across communities.
He warns that electricity costs have climbed since Bournemouth was closed down and says there is still no sign of an effective regulator. He details how businesses in Kerry and towns like Killarney have been forced to close under the weight of higher electricity bills and commercial rates, while pointing to recent government spending decisions as part of the broader debate.
Fuel and carbon tax
Danny Healy-Rae says fuel is the main driver of the cost of living, claiming that over half of every litre paid at the pump goes into state coffers and urging the Minister to remove the carbon tax. He highlights daily increases at pumps and criticises the government's small, slow responses to rising prices.
Rents and taxation
Healy-Rae raises concern about rents and the tax burden on renters, asserting that in many cases the government is taking 52% tax from people who are simply trying to keep a roof over their heads. He frames rising rents as a direct contributor to household strain across communities.
Electricity, commercial rates and business closures
He warns that electricity costs have climbed since Bournemouth was closed down and says there is still no sign of an effective regulator. He details how businesses in Kerry and towns like Killarney have been forced to close under the weight of higher electricity bills and commercial rates, while pointing to recent government spending decisions as part of the broader debate.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Other speeches
Tego samego dnia All speeches from this day →
Martin Daly
Martin Daly: Commits to Shift Issue from Health to Agriculture
Martin Daly
Martin Daly: Roscommon's 'See and Treat' Unit Needs Support
Martin Daly
Martin Daly: Why private maternity hospitals don't exist
Thomas Gould
Thomas Gould Slams Government Over Hidden Fuel Hikes
John McGuinness
John McGuinness: EU Presidency must put citizens first
Martin Daly
Martin Daly presses Rotunda over 'safety' claim withdrawal
Transcript
Thank you very much Comhairle, and thank the proposers of this motion here today, I'm delighted to get the chance to talk about the cost of living because the increased cost of living is on everyone's mouths and everyone is saying that their wages are being eroded by the cost of living and I believe myself that the main driver of this is the cost of fuel and the cost of energy and the cost of fuel. Every litre that's been purchased, over half of it, 95 cents or so of each litre is going into the state coffers. There's room for manoeuvre there Minister and it's time to get rid of the carbon tax, full stop, fuel is dear enough. Just talk about rents because people are out of their mind about the cost of rents and in most cases the government is taking 52% tax out of each person that's renting a property just to basically provide a roof over their heads. Businesses, the cost of electricity and I have stated here several times, there is no sign of a regulator, no sign of a regulator Minister and every day since Bournemouth was closed down, the cost of electricity has gone up. People in Kerry are outraged at the amount of money they're paying for electricity and especially businesses, they can hardly keep going and on top of that with commercial rates, people are being driven out of their businesses, long-standing businesses that have been operating even in the town of Killarney. Places like Cashel Island and Coral, all those places, shops have closed down that were there forever, going back to the ages they were there. They've gone now and there's more of them set to go Minister because the rates have gone mad total and absolutely outrageous the demands that people are getting for commercial rates. Again I say to you, you've taken in more, your expectations are doubled in the tax take over the last number of months and at the same time you were so slow to react to the practitioners and the people that were outraged with the way that the pumps, the numbers in the pumps were going up each day and I told you that here inside on the 24th of March when he offered three cents to the people with green diesel and home heating oil, three cents and two cents and it cost him 70 or 80 cents more and then at the same time you were able to give 40 million to Ukraine, 125 million the day Zelensky came here and he put the country down for almost two billion he bought it for that.