Mattie McGrath Demands Immediate Fuel Tax Cuts in Dáil
Deputy Mattie McGrath demanded immediate fuel tax relief, urging the removal of excise and carbon charges to cut petrol and diesel prices by at least 50 cents. He called for a full Dáil debate and a resolution to strike out those charges, arguing households and producers cannot afford rising energy costs.
Main demand
Deputy Mattie McGrath pressed for urgent action on fuel prices, demanding a debate and a resolution to remove excise and carbon charges immediately and to cut at least 50 cents off fuel prices.
Tax breakdown cited
McGrath cited the composition of pump prices, saying 64 cents of every litre of petrol and 54 cents of diesel are made up of excise and carbon tax, charges he said “can be wiped away with a stroke of a pen.”
Impact on households and producers
He warned that people cannot afford to work, heat homes, live or produce food under current prices, describing the situation as “crazy” and saying the public are furious and struggling to afford essentials.
Criticism of government response
McGrath accused the government of sleepwalking into the crisis and criticised what he described as a lack of timely action, noting public anger and urging ministers to act before holiday departures such as Paddy’s Day.
Government statement and fiscal context
In reply, the government noted the issue is under active consideration, said the war is 13 days old and acknowledged the likely inflationary impact. The government referenced a half‑billion euro package in the budget addressing pandemic-induced inflation and said it will respond to the rising energy prices.
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I was very disappointed when you responded earlier to Deputy Macdonald. We need action now. We will step walk into this crisis and blaming the Ukraine and what goes on there is horrific. Look, it's just no excuse and the public know that out there. Like 64 cents on every litre of petrol is excise and indeed carbon tax. 54 cents is the same on diesel and it's on carbon tax and excise. That can be wiped away with a stroke of a pen. I'm demanding a full debate and we're now ruled independent group. have been on this for a long, long time. Anyone can see it coming. We need a debate. We need a resolution, as Deputy Macdonald said, to strike out those charges at the moment and cut at least 50 cents off the price. People can't afford to work, live or play or indeed produce food. It's just a crazy situation and you're going to go off for Paddy's Day and I wish you well in your travels with no objection to that and leave the people in languor. The people are furious and they can't heat their homes or anything else. So please, we need a debate on this and we need a more dawn motion. I know I'm so sorry, it's such an important issue and the government needs to be walking up from the slumber. First of all, as I did say to Deputy Macdonald earlier, the government has the issues around the rising fuel prices and so on and acknowledges the enormous impact such increases in energy prices are having on people on the ground in terms of going to work, in terms of household heating and so on. The matter is under active consideration by the government and the government will respond. Likewise with Deputy McGrath, we are certainly not sleepwalking into this. This war is 13 days old. It is having and will continue to have. The government has responded to the budget with half a billion in a package in terms of the pandemic-induced cycle of inflation. The war is going to mean a lot more inflation. The war will mean life will not be quite the same for 2022, at least as we have. As we thought it was. And that's all I'm saying. And the government will respond in relation to this. In relation to this.
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